the beauty that broke the beast
by TonightTheStarsAlign
Summary: "We are sun and moon, dear friend; we are sea and land. It is not our purpose to become each other; it is to recognize each other, to learn to see the other and honor him for what he is: each the other's opposite and complement." April, District Four's female tribute, will find her complement in the Games, whether she likes it or not. Cato/OC ; story 1 of 3.
1. doomsday

**A/N: I'm not going to pretend I'm not nervous about posting this, because I think this is the most nervous I've been about posting something. I've been a complete nervous wreck getting the nerve up just to write it. The scene on top of the Cornucopia actually made it hard to watch Cato die, that I just had to write this, and I can't believe I did. This will contain elements of the book, the movie, and a little from me. This story has been sitting on my computer for well over a year and a half, being scrutinized and rewritten. But it's finally ready to be seen! I hope you all enjoy it. I encourage **_**constructive**_** criticism!**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, Suzanne Collins owns the Hunger Games and everything involved with it, but I own my characters. So, don't steal them. Please? Thank you.**

_Cause it's not my time, I'm not going  
There's a fear in me, it's not showing  
This could be the end of me  
And everything I know  
Oh but I won't go_

**Chapter 1: Doomsday**

It was the day of the Reaping in District Four, and I was the only one awake it seemed. I had done this every Reaping day since my brother had been reaped. I would get up just before the sun rose over the Eastern horizon, make my way to the fishing wharfs and stick my feet in the ocean. The fishermen weren't out because no one worked on Reaping day and never had as far as I could remember. The sea air took over my senses, and a smile made its way across my face. It was nice to be able to get away from the troubles that awaited me once the day was in full swing. I had always found that the sea and the sunrise calmed my nerves on Reaping day, but I'd have to return to reality at some point.

My brother had been chosen eight years before, two days before his fifteenth birthday making him one of the younger tributes, and unfortunately for him, victors. I was nine at the time, and I still hadn't fully understood what the Games were, though I'd been training for two years at that point. My parents didn't want me seeing them, but that was almost impossible when it was mandated that every citizen watch. I looked on as my brother joined the alliance of wealthier districts, breaking off in the top eight so they could pick each other off one by one. I was thankful that my brother had won the Games, but it was hard to erase the image of your brother spearing the last remaining tribute through the neck.

I pulled my legs from the water and began to make my way toward my brother's house. I still lived in our old house with my mother and father, because they said Merrick had earned his house in Victor's Village. I always scoffed when they used that term. I stayed with Merrick from time to time so he wouldn't be alone and kept my nicer clothes there. His house was where I would be getting ready for the Reaping, my next to last one. Father would be helping Wade get ready, who had turned fifteen two weeks ago, while Mother laid out the clothes she and Father would wear.

I made my way past the gates in front of Victor's Village, passing houses of people I'd come to befriend. There was Finnick, who was quite the charmer, at least for the Capitol, and had won his Games only at fourteen. If I was older than seventeen and he wasn't in love with Annie, I might think twice about him. I'd known him for too long, though, that he seemed like another older brother to me. And Annie, her Games were the first Games I'd ever cried while watching. Annie had a pure meltdown as she watched her district partner get beheaded. I was thankful Finnick had taught her how to swim years ago, or she wouldn't be here right now. Now, Annie takes a long time before letting someone into her life.

I hadn't met everyone in Victor's Village, though. With trained tributes going into the arena, our District had one of the highest victor pools out there. Although, there was a nice old woman, Mags, a few houses down that would cook me shrimp when I stayed with Merrick. She never spoke a word, she would just waddle down the street, hand me a plate and waddle back to her home. Finnick had told me she cooked shrimp for me because Merrick was a lousy cook. I had giggled at the truth.

I reached the porch and opened the door to Merrick's house slowly and quietly, not sure if my brother was awake yet. I learned quickly after he returned from the Games that it wasn't a good thing when he was startled awake. My question was answered when I heard his shower running upstairs. Looking around the house, I thought about how it came into my brother's possession. It was an ugly memory—more so for him, I'm sure, but I still shuddered at the images that entered my mind. My brother jumping out of the river, shocking the girl from District Two before running her neck through with a spear still felt as fresh in my mind as it had all those years ago.

I heard the shower turn off and the door to his bathroom open. "Hey, Apricot!" He yelled down without even appearing, using that stupid nickname that only he used. Apparently, when I was born, he said my head looked like an apricot, and he had become fond of calling me that and had done so since I was little. From the ages of four to six, I was convinced that was my real name.

"Do you always have to call me that?" I called back up to him, glaring at the opening of the hallway.

He stuck his head out from the upstairs hallway, grinning like an idiot. He knew exactly how I felt about the nickname but continued to use it anyway. "Well, what would you have me call you?"

My arms flew up in exasperation, eyes rolling back in my head in time with them. "By my real name, asshole!"

A mock look of offense crossed his face then. "Language, Apricot," he scolded in a teasing tone.

"Or Apricot," I said sarcastically, giving him a disapproving look. "That's fine, too."

"Well, forgive me, _April_," he said, trying to sound sincere. I let out a long sigh as he disappeared back into the hallway, knowing there was no getting through to him. "Come on, Apricot, if I didn't call you that, you would think I was mad at you."

He appeared at the top of the stairs in his dress pants and the undershirt he'd be wearing. He had to look nice, because as a previous victor, he had to sit up on the stage during the Reaping. As a mentor this year, it was very likely he'd be helping two kids survive as long as possible before their untimely deaths. If he was lucky, he would get a tribute that was smart enough and strong enough to outlast everyone else. Even then, Merrick would be ruining a life. He could attest to that. One of the joys of being a victor, I suppose.

I smiled sadly at him as he made his way down the stairs. "Cheer up, Apricot. Shower's clear. Pressure's acting kind of funny, though. I'll check it out when I get back." He made his way past me and walked toward the kitchen. "Feel free to stay here whenever while I'm out. Just make sure to clean up your shit."

My smile faded as I padded up the stairs. He always talked like he knew I would be in District Four the day after the Reaping. Merrick's name had only been in the bowl four times when he was picked. Two less time than mine would be in this year. I was always told not to worry; there was always a greater chance for people who had taken tesserae to get picked over me, even though few people in our district ever needed to take them. But, when it came to the Reaping, I was always worried. Even with the six years of training in our district's acadamy and the rest by Merrick and Finnick, I was always worried.

Even though I was from one of the wealthier districts, I didn't understand why the Games were something to be loved. Almost two thousand children had died so far because of the Games. Some of the children didn't even stand a chance when they were picked, just little twelve year olds trying to understand why it had to be them and why they could never see their families again. Those were always the worst deaths, and most of the time, I couldn't bear to look at them. The day the Games ended would be a great day for the world. _If_ they ever ended.

I opened the bathroom door and the steam from Merrick's shower rolled out and laughed at the quality we both shared: the hotter the shower, the better. I stripped down and climbed into the shower after I turned the water to as hot as I could stand it. Letting my worries wash away under the water, my sun kissed brown hair darkened as the water soaked it. I felt at home in the water. Growing up in the fisheries district, you had to be. I would stay in the water for days if I could, but not today. Today, I had to be at the Hall of Justice to see whose lives would be ruined by the Games. I washed myself thoroughly, from every strand of hair on my head, to the spaces between my toes, rinsed myself off, and begrudgingly turned off the water. I threw a towel around me before stepping into the hall and walking down to the room I normally stayed in.

Voices floated up from downstairs as I dug through my closet, and I assumed Merrick's girlfriend had shown up. She really was a lovely, young woman, and I wondered when he was going to ask her to marry him. She was one of the few girls that hadn't flocked to him for the riches that had been bestowed upon him. Paisley was a good soul, and he was lucky to have her.

Trying to decide what dress was appropriate to wear to someone's doom was extremely difficult. The Capitol hated when people wore black to a Reaping, because, according to them, the Reaping was a time of celebration, not sorrow.

_Up yours, Capitol._

I heard footsteps coming up the stairs and moments later, Paisley appeared in my doorway. "Good morning, April," she said, smiling as she walked to my side and looked in my closet. "Having trouble deciding for today?" I nodded and she stepped forward immediately, digging through my dresses that hung in the closet before her. I heard some hmm's, some no's and some maybe's before I heard a definite yes. She'd pulled out my sea blue sundress. She looked giddy on the outside, her soft facial features lighting up and her blonde curls bouncing as she leaped with excitement, but on the inside, she hated this as much as everyone else.

She laid the dress out on the bed before making her way to the door, waving as she left. I pulled on my undergarments and slipped the dress on over my curves. I heard Paisley say goodbye to Merrick and the door shut behind her. I brushed my hair out and dried it quickly, letting my hair fall into its natural place, resting in the middle of my shoulder blades. Picking out a blue ribbon from the drawer, I pulled my hair over my shoulder and tied the ribbon around it. That was as much as I was willing to doll up for the cameras of the Capitol.

I walked out into the hall and then down the stairs, finding Merrick searching through his downstairs closet for a shirt to wear. I walked to the closet, looked at the side rack and pulled out a sky blue button up. He smiled at me before taking it and slipping it on. I pulled out a nice tie as well. If he was going to be a mentor this year, he'd be a well-dressed one.

I slipped on some sliver, dressy sandals I had stashed in the downstairs closet before making my way to the door, with Merrick close behind me. We walked swiftly to the Hall of Justice, ready to get this over with, though Merrick's journey would last longer than mine. He gave me a quick hug before heading to the stage with the other previous victors that had already arrived. My eyes landed on Finnick, and he sent me a wave as I stepped into the check in line. I waved back as the line moved forward and quickly found myself at the table getting my finger pricked.

I scanned the crowd as I walked, looking for my school friends and eventually I found my best friend, Nixie, saving a spot next to her for me. As I stepped next to her, she grabbed my hand instantly, something we did every year.

"How many times is your name in this year?" I asked, honestly not sure.

She gave me a sad smile. "Business hasn't been good this year, so I had to take some tesserae..."

I dropped my head. "How many times, Nix?"

She made a face. "Just sixteen."

That was almost triple the amount of what mine was, and my heart sank at the thought of my best friend's name being called. My hand immediately found her, giving it a squeeze before scanning the crowd for my brother, Wade. He was two sections over from me and I smiled at how handsome he looked. He already had to fight ladies off with a stick, and I loved teasing him about it. If he got any better looking, it'd just be funny to watch that. If he could just make it to eighteen, he'd be able to get his pick of any girl he wanted. I prayed he could find that happiness.

Our district escort, Cicero Marks, took the stage and approached the microphone. He was a bit of a pudgy man, his bright cyan suit looking a bit tight on him. His ugly comb over matched his suit, as it did every year. I remember two years ago his suit was green and his hair literally looked like seaweed. I would never understand Capitol fashion. Cicero tapped the microphone before announcing it was time to draw the names of the tributes for this year. He gave us a brief speech about how honored the tributes should feel, how he felt this would be a good year for District Four and of course, "May the odds be ever in your favor," he said, his tone too chipper for me.

My breath hitched in my throat as Cicero walked over to the container that held the girl's names and stuck his hand inside. It felt like years before he finally pulled a name out. I shouldn't really be worried. My name was in there five times. Nixie had a better chance of being chosen, which wasn't any better. I decided I wouldn't be worried as he opened the paper. I was wrong to feel safe.

"April Hylet!" Cicero called out. I felt Nixie stiffen beside me and heard my mother squeak out a sob somewhere in the crowd. Shock washed over me and for a moment, I completely forgot that it was even my name. It was like an out of body experience, the poor girl getting called scared stiff. I heard the name called twice more before it finally dawned on me that it was indeed my name. I put on my best face as I gave Nixie's hand a squeeze. I heard her start to speak, knowing she was going to volunteer for me. Whipping around to glare at her, her mouth closed quickly. I wasn't going to let her go to her death for me. She may be mentally strong, but when it came to physicality, I knew she wouldn't last two minutes in training, let alone the arena.

"I'll be fine, Nix," I whispered, letting go of her hand

I made my way out into the open and the Peacekeepers walked me to the stage. Cicero congratulated me and walked over to the boy's container. As he was digging, I made eye contact with Merrick, who was seated on my right. My brother had to train me knowing I didn't have the highest chance of making it, though I was certain I would at least make top eight. Of course, that would all depend on the crop of tributes for the year. As Cicero walked back to the microphone, I was snapped from my trance and held back tears, needing to be strong for the cameras, thinking this couldn't be a worse day. Life seemed to take my thoughts as a challenge.

"Wade Hylet! What a treat!" Cicero announced, his voice sick and twisted with happiness. My mother let out a choked sob from the back of the crowd. Rage and panic rushed through me at the sick turn of events. My older brother would have to train his two younger siblings to fight to the death. I would have to be in the arena with my younger brother. Before his name was called, I had the chance to come out of the arena alive, but with him being in there with me… I made the decision right there that I would die if it meant he could come home.

I knew one thing: The Capitol would eat up a brother and sister having to fight each other. That would be too rich to pass up. I couldn't even look over at Wade as he walked slowly up to the stage. He was probably thinking the same thing I was, hoping and praying that it wasn't really happening.

My sadness was short lived. Wade was almost to the stage when a boy I knew all too well stepped out in the open. Crest Bane. He was a year older than me. He had brighter than bleach blond hair and a slightly muscular build. His sea green eyes showed a familiar determination that I had always known to be there. He was a good family friend, had been for as long as I could remember. He had never really had a family, said he never knew what happened to his parents, and he worked around my father's shop a lot, helping out in exchange for food. He probably loved my family as much as I did.

The crowd around him turned toward him, and he yelled, "I volunteer!" I was in shock. I couldn't bring myself to be upset by his actions. I no longer had to worry about Wade. I was almost sure they wouldn't let Crest volunteer, though, the brother and sister fighting to the death almost too much for them to pass up, but I looked over and Crest was standing on the stage with me. Cicero had us shake hands, and the scene before me quickly changed from outdoors to the inside of the Hall of Justice.

I was placed in a room inside the Hall of Justice to await the goodbyes that were coming. I knew Merrick wouldn't show up. I would see him on the train. I wouldn't see everyone else for quite a while, as District Four was one of the first to get reaped. I would possibly never see them again. We still had to travel through districts five through twelve for their Reapings. Other than District Four, I had never seen a live Reaping.

I shook my head as I walked over to the window, looking out to watch the crowd moved from the square east toward the train station. My eyes spotted a speck of dirt on the window, and I tried to brush it away, but it refused to move. I focused all of my energy on that tiny piece of dirt, willing to use anything as an excuse to to think about the journey that lay ahead of me. It was too much to even begin to process, and I wanted to stay in my tiny bubble, just me and that dirt, until the last possible second.

That bubble was burst as my family came through the door.

**CATO OC CATO OC CATO OC CATO OC CATO**

There's chapter one. Right now, I think you guys can get an update sometime every Saturday. If I have to work then it'll be later in the day. I put lots of thought and effort into this story, and I hope you all enjoy it. Let me know what you guys think :) Reviews are definitely appreciated! Don't just tell me I suck, though. Give me pointers and such if I need it! And thank you for even making it this far. If you've read this far, I already love you.


	2. on the wrong foot

**Thank you to all those who favorited this story and put it on alert. I decided to go ahead and post the second chapter to give you guys an idea as to what the relationship between April and Cato would be like, and from now on, I'll hopefully be sticking to the every Saturday post.**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, Suzanne Collins owns the Hunger Games and everything involved with it, but I own my characters. So, don't steal them. Please? Thank you.**

_This is ten percent luck, twenty percent skill  
Fifteen percent concentrated power of will  
Five percent pleasure, fifty percent pain  
And a hundred percent reason to remember the name_

**Chapter 2: On the Wrong Foot**

My mother immediately wrapped her arms around me, and I finally let a tear drop from my eye. I wasn't going to look weak in front of the cameras, but my parents were upset, and I hated seeing that. I could let my guard down around them, let myself feel all the anguish and the hurt and then anger before putting on the façade for the Capitol and the rest of the country. My father put his arms around us as my mother cried into my shoulder. I looked up, pulling away from them slightly, so I could see them all. Wade was still standing in front of us, looking shocked, and I didn't blame him.

Mother held me tightly, and the soothing brush of her hand down my back was coaxing more and more tears to the surface. The fact that there were no cameras around made it easy to let them fall. This was the only chance I would get to let myself break down and actually feel all the things any normal person would feel when faced with a life or death situation. Once I was on the train to the Capitol, I would I have to be strong no matter what happened. I had to make it back home at any cost.

Finally, after what felt like a lifetime and a second all at once, my mother let me go, but I squeezed her once more before walking over to Wade. "Wade, listen…I…I know I haven't been the best sister in the world, but…" Wade cut me off by pulling me into his arms and hugging me. It wasn't what I had expected. Wade and I didn't express our relationship in a good light very much. Honestly, we fought a lot, but we both knew at the end of the day that we were family, and we loved each other.

"Don't you say that, April, don't you dare say that." He pushed me away. "You're going to come home, so don't say that like it's a goodbye." I was shocked at his words. He sounded mad. "I wish I could go into the Games to make sure you came home, but I can't… So, you'd better take care of yourself!"

I bit my lip, slightly shocked into silence but managed to nod my head. Looking to the three of them, I was met with the same look I had given Merrick all those years ago when he had been reaped. There was a desperation in their eyes that told me that did just want me to come back; they needed me to come back.

"You're going to make it home, April," my father said, his hand on my shoulder helping lift the weight off of them for a moment. "I know you will."

At that moment, the Peacekeepers came through the door and began pulling them from the room. Mother tried her best to give me one last hug, but it ended up being a small caress of my shoulders. My father and Wade managed to give me a small smile, giving me an image that I would hold on to and remember for my duration of the Games. I was fighting to get back to this family that loved me with their entire beings.

The doors were only closed for a few moments before they opened again and there stood Nixie. She ran in and hugged me tightly and I returned it with as much enthusiasm. We'd been friends since we were six when she'd stopped the seven year olds from picking on me. I had been more delicate in my younger years, but Nixie had brought out the tough in me. She'd been with me through everything, so I wasn't surprised to see her come tell me goodbye.

"I was going to volunteer!" She sobbed into my shoulder.

"I know you were, but I couldn't let you do that for me. You have a whole big life ahead of you," I replied, soothingly. I hated seeing her upset, and it just gave me another reason to hate the Capitol. No one made my best friend cry.

She pulled away harshly. "And you don't? You don't have your whole life ahead of you? You didn't have the possibility of having a family or a normal life?" Nixie furiously wiped her eyes and turned toward the door, staring at it. She turned back to me, determination in her eyes. "You still do. I know you. I've seen you train with spears and tridents. I mean your fucking name is basically trident. Merrick has taught you so much, and he'll help you even more now. You _will_ win this, April."

I didn't have near enough time with Nixie before the Peacekeepers were dragging her out kicking and screaming. I sighed, dropped onto the couch, and put my head in my hands. I heard the door open, but I didn't look up and felt the couch sink down next to me. I removed my hands from my face to see another hand in front of my face, holding out a piece of saltwater taffy. I didn't even need to look up to know who was sitting next to me. Ever since he returned from his Games, Finnick had always had a bit of a sweet tooth.

"Want it?" He asked, nonchalantly.

I shook my head, not really in the mood to eat anything. He shrugged and popped it into his mouth. He was acting like nothing was wrong, which, honestly, I was grateful for. No hugging, no crying, just sitting here on the couch, like any other day. I wondered what he was doing here, saying goodbye to me. I knew we'd grown close over the years, but I didn't know it would merit a visit.

"You know, a lot of people have a lot of faith in you, saying the Hylet family has another victor on their hands." I scoffed at the thought of starting some Hylet family legacy. "I agree with them. I've watched you train. I've helped you train, which, is probably the best training you'll ever get." At that, he winked, trying his best to lighten the mood.

"And they say you aren't humble," I joked, chuckling at his arrogance. It felt nice to laugh, even in the dire situation, and I found the strength to wipe the last of the tears from my eyes. It would be time for me to leave soon, and I couldn't go out there looking as if I had had a breakdown.

"You're from one of the wealthier districts. Think wisely before you decide to join the others or not. I wish I was taking your brother's place, so he didn't have to go through this, but I can't. So do your best and come back."

I took a deep, shuddering breath, holding back the last of the tears that threatened to spill. I was going to have to put an act on for the entirety of the nation soon. "I don't know what I'm gonna do, Finnick. I wasn't prepared for this. Merrick always spoke as if I would never be in this position."

"You're going to be strong." I felt Finnick rummage in his pocket and pull something out. "Your mother gave this to me as I passed her. She didn't get a chance to give it to you while she was in here." I looked though my wet eyelashes to see my mother's locket in his hand. I quickly wiped at my eyes again and took it from him, opening it quickly. On the left, I saw our family picture, my father and mother behind us three kids. On the right, was a picture of Merrick, Wade, and myself 'stacked' on top of each other—Merrick having to support all our weight on his hands and knees.

I smiled and hugged Finnick quickly. "Thank you so much, Finnick, for everything you've done." He returned the hug generously. I would miss him dearly while I was gone. "I'll try my hardest to come back to you guys."

Finnick stood up. "You'll do fine, April. We all believe in you. You just have to do the same." He walked to the door, opened it and turned back to me. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do," he said, winking again. I had to chuckle again. He then stepped outside and closed the doors, leaving me in the room alone with only my thoughts.

I got up, looked at the mirror on the wall and tried my hardest to make myself look like I hadn't been crying. The whites of my eyes were slightly pink, and the normal light blue irises had changed to a dark shade, like they always did when I cried. Peacekeepers came in and took me to a vehicle that already held Cicero and Crest inside it. I stepped in when the door was opened and looked over at Crest. I scanned over his stern face, trying to find an ounce of regret, but there was nothing to find. If he was regretting his decision, he wasn't showing it. Had he planned to volunteer before Wade's name was drawn? Did he just decide to do it? I would find out later. I can't help but wonder how his goodbyes went. I hoped my family had gone to thank him. Wade now owed Crest his life.

We arrived at the train station fairly quickly and the train was already there waiting for us. There was a rather large crowd, even though some of the families of District Four were already mourning for my and Crest's families. I climbed onto the train, not wanting the cameras to catch any weakness that might have been showing in my eyes. I tried not to think about what was going to happen over the next few days. My brother would be training me for what could very well turn out my last few days on Earth, a week or two if I was lucky. I dreaded this. I didn't want my parents to watch another child go through the Games. I didn't want my brother to have to send me to my death. I didn't want to die. That left me with one option. I would fight with everything that I had in me.

Cicero stepped ahead of Crest and me, babbling about what the train would be like. I wasn't listening. I was just trying not to think about anything, trying to make myself numb, but it wasn't working. I barely registered the magnificant train car, filled with enough food to feed an army. I heard Cicero say something about another car before leaving the one we were in. I took a seat in one of the chairs, no more emotion showing on my face. It surprised me that I even managed that with the raging storm of emotions I could feel swirling around in my brain.

Crest sat in the seat next to me. There was something I had to know. "Why?" I asked outright.

Crest looked over at me. "Why what, April?"

"You know what. Why did you volunteer for Wade?"

He barely took a second to answer. "No one should have to fight their family like that. Your father has done a lot for me over the years, and I couldn't let him lose a child. At least this way, you can go back without worrying about your brother dying."

The sentiment almost brought tears to my eyes. I cleared my throat, trying to talk around the lump of emotion that sat there. I had never seen such a selfless act before, and the fact that I had never taken the time to really get to know Crest made me upset. He was willing to sacrifice his life for my brother, and I didn't even know if he was leaving any family behind.

"So…you're just going to…die?" I finally managed to say, the lack of shaking in my voice surprising me.

Crest opened his mouth to speak but a second later, Merrick quickly entered the car. I launched myself out of the chair and ran into his open arms. I let my emotions flood over me again, but I couldn't cry. Just feeling my brother's arms around me was enough to make me feel safe for the moment. I felt him stroke my hair, keeping me calm until I let him go. As soon as I did, his attention was on Crest

"Thank you so much for volunteering for Wade," Merrick said, extending his hand for Crest to shake.

Crest took it without question and said, "I don't expect a lot from you, sir. April is your sister, and I wouldn't expect you to train someone other than her." He turned to me. "I'm trained well enough that I'll help you as long as I can, but I don't expect to be going home."

My heart broke and I pulled Crest in for a hug. "Crest, don't give up that easily."

He tensed at the hug before returning it and chuckled. "I don't have much back home. You have a lot more to lose than I do. Your family has now had to go through this twice. I'll do my best to make sure they have a second victor."

I smiled sadly at him. He was willing to die for me. He sat back down and I turned back to Merrick. I wanted to lie down, _needed_ to lie down. Merrick understood and walked me to the sleeping car for us. This train had to be huge. We walked through a couple of cars before Merrick opened a door in one of the cars, revealing a nice, quaint sleeping compartment. I smiled at the bed. I turned and hugged Merrick, smiling at him, trying to stay positive. He smiled back, not wanting to show his sadness, but his eyes betrayed him. I stepped into the sleeping compartment and Merrick closed the door. I lay down on the bed, barely able to register how soft the pillows were before drifting to sleep.

I was woken up by Cicero pounding on the door, telling me District Five was going to begin their Reaping very soon and that I needed to watch it. My body didn't want to get up and protested even the smallest movements I made. It felt like I had only been asleep for a few moments, and all I wanted was to sleep and never go back to the nightmare that was currently my life. I didn't want to see two more lives ruined. Worst of all, I didn't want to see the other tributes that had already been reaped. I was afraid my confidence would drop when I saw the rest of the wealthier tributes that had trained most of their lives.

A groan escaped my lips as I reluctantly got out of bed after the third pounding. I checked myself in the mirror, making sure I didn't look like death after the nap I'd just had. I didn't look any different than I had at the Reaping. I took a deep breath. _You are strong._ I left the compartment and followed Cicero through the cars before entering one with more kids my age.

My eyes immediately fell on a perky blonde girl and an awkward looking boy. They were talking excitedly with each other, not aware of my presence just yet. Cicero told me he might be back after the Reaping, but if not, I could show myself back to my room. He left and I suddenly felt like I had been thrown into the lion's den. I tried to keep in mind that I was safe, that they couldn't do anything to me until we were in the arena, but that thought only helped so much. The blonde and the awkward boy gave me a one over look before going back to their conversation. As my eyes scanned the rest of the car, a dark haired girl that was just in a conversation with someone was now glaring at me. Two seconds around the other tributes and one already looked like she was ready to kill me. I had to wonder what in the world I could have done to warrant such hatred this fast but tried not to linger on the thought as I saw the person I assumed she was talking to before I'd come in.

This guy was strongly built, built even more than Crest, had sandy blonde hair and blue eyes that were icier than mine. His face was annoyingly handsome, I had to admit. He was tall, too. He was at least a foot taller than I was. I immediately knew he was either from District One or Two. His strong, muscular arms were crossed over his chest and he was no longer paying attention to the girl he had been talking to. I then realized that he was staring. He was staring at me, and he was smirking arrogantly. He was sizing me up, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't intimidated. I was also intrigued and determined not to let myself be underestimated.

I started to walk over to the couch in front of the television. Crest was already seated there, talking to a girl tribute. My foot caught the edge of the rug on the floor. I started to fall, but caught myself on the table next to me. The perky blonde and the awkward boy laughed. The dark haired girl smirked at my clumsiness. I didn't look at the handsome boy but for a second. The smirk hadn't moved from his face. I sat down quickly to Crest's right, trying not to let my disappointment in myself show. It was just a small trip; I could recover from that once we got into training. Then I would show them just how deadly I could be.

On the television, the officials, previous victors, and the escort from District Five stepped out onto the stage. The other tributes in the car took their seats around the television. The handsome boy took the seat on my right and I couldn't help but tense when he outstretched his arm on the couch behind me. I didn't like being this close to him, no matter how handsome he was.

"Move over, Cato," the perky blonde said, flirtatiously smiling as she said it. I had to resist the urge to vomit. How the hell could someone be flirting with the person who they might eventually have to kill or be killed by?

_Cato._ He looked up at her before moving over, making him move closer to me. The blonde sat down and tried to get closer to him, but that just made him get even closer to me. I was starting to get uncomfortable. I looked up at Cato, trying to convey that he needed to move away. He caught my glance, leaned down and whispered in my ear, "Just go with it." I looked confused. Then, he leaned back and spoke.

"How's life been, April? I haven't seen you in a while," Cato said, giving my shoulder a squeeze.

The statement had me extremely confused. It didn't click with me at first that he'd heard my name during my Reaping, but I wasn't about to make this guy mad. Even if I was strong, he could snap me like a twig. I looked up and smiled, going along with his act. "I can't complain. Business has been the same. It feels like ages since I last saw you. How have you been?"

Cato looked forward toward the television as people continued to file onto the stage. He looked calm and collected with a slight edge of confidence in his face. "I'm ready to get this show on the road. I've got a game to win."

It was hard, acting like I knew this guy, when, in reality, I'd never spoken to him before in my life. "Same old Cato. A little too eager to get into the Games. You're still so sure you'll win?"

He laughed, but there was no malice behind it. It was actually rather pleasant sounding, which was surprising coming from a guy like him. He looked as if his laugh would sound menacing. "You've fought with me. You know how strong I am. I could easily win with my eyes closed."

I rolled my eyes. I didn't have to know him to know that was a stupid statement to make this early. There were still eight districts to be reapead, and there was no way of knowing what surprises were in store from the other districts. "Not all the districts have been reaped yet. There could be some legendary tribute come along and wipe the floor with you. Arrogance can lead to demise."

He smirked down at me. "Oh, I'm not scared. These Games are mine." He leaned down and whispered to me, allowing only me to hear, "Just like you."

My body grew tense next to his, and I had a feeling that was the reason for his comment. Goosebumps rose on my skin, but I managed to keep my face schooled, hiding the fact that his words left me uneasy. If he wanted to beat me in the Games, he was going to have to fight his hardest. I was sure I had a lot more to fight for than he did. "I guess we'll see, won't we?" I said back, and was glad that my words seemed to surprise him.

The blonde girl looked around Cato, a scowl thrown in my direction before she spoke. "How in the world do you two know each other?"

Cato spoke up first, as my head was reeling with worry, because I had never been good at lying on the spot. "April's family and my family have been trading for years, since District Two is right next to District Four. I'd travel with my father when he'd go to trade with them. April was always there, helping her father."

_So, he was from District Two._ His excuse was good and entirely plausible idea. While generally travelling between districts was not allowed, sometimes the Capitol would allow inter-district trade, especially with districts that they were fond of. The part of District Four I lived in shared a border with District Two. I was still confused as to why he was doing this, until the blonde got up and moved to a seat behind the couch, huffing as she went. Cato leaned down again and his voice came out as a growl. "Don't read into it, Four. I just needed Glimmer off my back. Now laugh."

I didn't question him and did the best fake laugh I could muster. Cato smirked at me before returning his attention back to the television and I did the same, trying not to feel worried when it came to the boy next to me. He was built to charm the Capitol and win the Games. His face said handsome and charming, but his attitude said arrogant and lethal. I tried not to let him intimidate me, but it wasn't completely working. There was a part of me that told me not to mess with him, while the other part of me told me not to put up with his shit. I had a feeling the latter would win out. I had a hard time keeping myself in check with arrogant people.

There was a jab in my ribs, and I looked over at Crest. His brows were furrowed in question, and I gave him a slight shake of my head, telling him not to say anything. I didn't need any reason for Cato to hate me before we even made it to training. Even if he was full of himself, I had to remind myself that I could very well end up in an alliance with him should all the wealthy districts team up together.

The escort announced the name of the girl tribute for District Five. A little girl walked out, looking so tiny that she had to be twelve. I sighed, leaning my head back as a boy of the same size was announced. My head hit Cato's arm, and I immediately removed it.

After the two tributes were announced, the television was turned off and everyone began to filter out. I got up and was about to leave when Cato stepped in front of me, blocking my path to the door. I was shocked at first, but then gathered my composure.

"Can I help you with something?" I asked, confidence radiating from my voice. I wasn't going to let him get to me. He was just another person keeping me from getting back home.

His smirk was still plastered on his face, and his arms were back across his chest. He started circling me, like a shark getting ready to strike. He was looking me up and down, sizing me up once again. He'd immediately dismissed me as nonthreatening, and I knew it. I was short, my body only showed some evidence of the strength I knew it possessed, and I was wearing a dress. I probably looked as nonthreatening as a fly. He was trying to make me nervous, but I held my ground. With every pass around me, I could feel my resolve growing stronger. He was not going to get to me, and I was going to prove it.

All of a sudden, I felt him up against my back. I tried to step away, but his arms caught mine and he pulled my back to his chest again. His lips caressed my ear, and I felt a shudder race down my spine, shocking me for just a moment before I decided to ignore it. Invading my personal space was another tactic to get me to crumble, but my walls were holding steady.

"Better watch your step, little girl," he said, referring to my trip as I had entered the cart. The little girl comment made me turn my head and glare at him over my shoulder. "We wouldn't want that pretty face messed up before the Games," he said, with a teasing hint behind his voice.

He let go of my arms, slid around me, and walked into the next car. I stood there for a few more moments, trying to let all the emotions I had swirling in me fade away again. The thought crossed my mind that being around the brute from Two might actually work to my advantage. If I could show all the other tributes that one of the biggest threats didn't scare me, I could have a shot at being one of the top tributes.

I took one last deep breath before walking out of the cart.

**CATO OC CATO OC CATO OC CATO OC CATO**

There's chapter two. I decided to add the bit where they're all on the train together to help the relationship along with Cato and April. For what I have planned, having them meet at the tribute parade would make their relationship more rushed than it already is. I'm glad you guys like the story so far! I'm already excited to show you guys the rest. Review as much as you can and I'll see you guys Saturday!


	3. something to prove

**Thank you to all those who favorited this story and put it on alert. So I had such a good time while I was out of town that I couldn't wait to share more with you guys. You'll still get a new chapter this coming Saturday. I might do it to where I do an update two times a week. Maybe. This one ran a bit lengthy, but I couldn't find a good spot to split it without making the next chapter super short. If you're reading this story, please consider reviewing. Even if it's just to say I missed a letter or you like my characters or you don't like my characters. It's always nice to hear compliments, or even get constructive criticism so the story is better for everyone. I love you all, and thank you for your support.**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, Suzanne Collins owns the Hunger Games and everything involved with it, but I own my characters. So, don't steal them. Please?**

_I'm only getting started, I won't blackout  
(This time I've got nothing to waste)  
Let's go a little harder, I'm on fire  
I won't blackout  
(I'm on my way)  
I'm only getting started_

**Chapter 3: Something to Prove**

Throughout the next couple of the days, we were called back into the same car to watch each district's Reaping ceremony. I had already watched the Reapings for Districts One, Two, and Three after encountering Cato the day of District Five's reaping. Cato had valiantly volunteered before the escort had even gotten a hand in the bowl, marching confidently to the stage to stand next to Clove, his fellow tribute. She was young, maybe fifteen years old, and I wasn't sure if I needed to be worried about her yet.

The car continued to add more and more people as we went through each district, making it much easier to get away from Cato. Even though I knew I could face him, I wanted to keep our interactions as scarce as possible. After our 'conversation' during and after the Reaping of District Five, every time I'd glance his way, he'd be staring right back at me, with that smirk plastered across his face. He made me want to rip or slap it off, but I had to keep myself in check.

I would busy myself by talking with Crest, and the boy and girl tributes from District Three. I tried not to talk too many of the other tributes, as I didn't want to get too close to them. It was already hard to think about Crest, the boy who had now saved my brother's life, dying in the arena. I didn't want to think about anyone dying in the arena, but as I looked around the car at the twenty-two people on board that possibly all of us would die. There were still two tributes yet to board the train.

We had just finished watching the Reaping of District Twelve. I wanted to cry when the older sister of the girl tribute ran out into the crowd and volunteered, reminding me of Crest's sacrifice. It was such a brave thing for her to do. Her sister looked so small, that I was sure if she were to be in the arena, she'd be slaughtered. Of course, I could have been wrong. Some of the best things came in small packages. I looked around the car, saw a couple of the younger tributes and wondered if they'd be able to survive for very long.

Once again, everyone was filtering out of the car. I was in need of a nap. The days of just watching people's horrified faces as their names were read had been mentally exhausting. There were twenty-four kids on this train, and their lives were now ruined. Twenty-three of them would be dead and one would be damaged beyond the repair that the Capitol could provide. That's how Merrick put it, anyway. Not wanting to be bothered by Cato again, I quickly left the car and headed for the one that housed my sleeping compartment.

I made it to my sleeping compartment without delay, ignoring Crest's calls as I went. I just needed to be away. Entering my sleeping quarters as quickly as I could, I changed into sleepwear before falling onto the bed. We still had a couple of days left on the train, which meant I would probably spend those days trying to avoid Cato at all costs. Until I knew I could show my strength over his large form in front of everyone, there was no need to be around him.

My mind kept going back to our fake conversation on my first day on the train. "These Games are mine," he had said. "Just like you," he had growled in my ear. I didn't know exactly what he had meant and wasn't entirely sure I wanted to, especially when I thought of that pleasant shiver when his lips brushed the shell of my ear. I did know one thing; I was going to be his kill. His stare had told me as much. I felt like he looked at me like a piece of meat and he was an extremely hungry and attractive lion. _Stop it, April._ I had honestly become tired of the smirking.

I closed my eyes and drifted to sleep, even though it was around six by the time that happened, but the entirety of my sleep was plagued by that handsome smirk. When I woke up, it was dark outside. I rolled over to see that the time was ten at night. I'd slept the rest of the day away. _Great._ My sleep schedule was going to be extremely messed up, but it was better to get used to the staggered sleep before getting into the arena. I would be lucky to get an hour at a time in there.

I sat up in bed quickly, suddenly feeling a surge of something I masked as bravery go through me. Avoiding him until we were training could be helpful to me in the long run with the other tributes, but for him, he would see it as avoiding him out of fear. I would not let him think I was afraid of him. That was the last thing I wanted. I left my sleeping compartment and looked down the car. All the sleeping compartment doors were closed. I made my way a few doors down. We had our sleeping compartments organized by districts, boys on one side, and girls on the other. So, it wasn't hard to find Cato's compartment.

I was only in front of his door before my fist was knocking on it. I tried not to let the nagging feeling that I _wanted_ to see Cato after avoiding him, pushing it down until it was unrecognizable. This was about showing him that he was going to have to fight just as hard to beat me as he would with everyone else. I was not going down without a fight. A face appeared in the doorway as it slid open, his expression angry.

It didn't take but a second after Cato registered that it was me that the scowl turned into that signature smirk. "District Four, what a surprise. It's nice to see you out of a dress."

I looked down and realized how scantly clothed I was. I had changed into a pair of shorts and a loose fitting tank top I had found in my quarters before I'd fallen asleep. It was impossible to fight the blush that crept up my cheeks as he stared at me. I looked back up at him and that's when I realized that Cato was not wearing a shirt, and it was my turn to stare. I only let my gaze linger on his chest for a few moments before I got my brave face back, not intending to take any shit from him.

"I have a name, _Two_," I replied, mocking him. Being called Four was almost as annoying as Merrick calling me Apricot.

He leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms over his chest. "I know you do. That doesn't mean I'm going to use it." He continued to smirk, and I wanted to punch him.

I mimicked his move, crossing my arms over my chest as well. The point of this conversation was to stand my ground and show him that I wasn't afraid. That no matter what, he wasn't going to get to me. "Stop looking at me like that."

"How am I looking at you exactly?" He proceeded to lick his lips, enhancing the look I was referring to.

"Like I'm a piece of meat you're going to devour at any given second. You've already underestimated me before we've even begun our training, and if you think for one second that I won't fight tooth and nail in that arena, you've got another thing coming," I ranted.

He threw his head back in a short laugh, laughing _at_ me, before his smirk returned. I could tell I wouldn't like this. "You know, you're cute when you're mad."

I couldn't help myself. My hand was moving toward his face of its own accord faster than I could stop it. I was about slap the smirk off Cato's face, and I was going to like it. My hand was almost there when his hand came up and wrapped around my wrist. I was shocked at his speed before he was pulling me and turning into his sleeping quarters. He pressed my back up against the wall and pushed both my wrists up by my head, against the wall as well. His chest was pushed up against mine. My breathing picked up as I struggled against his hold on me. I hadn't expected this to happen. I should've known his reflexes would be good. He was a hardcore tribute, trained in combat for years, and it was showing. There still wasn't an ounce of fear in my body, just more determination to prove that his tough attitude wasn't going to phase me. His eyes seemed to dare me to do something like that again.

His smirk grew, but it wasn't his typical arrogant smirk. This one was sort of menacing from the angle I was at. "You were saying?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but I had no words. I was normally able to come up with a snappy comeback anytime someone challenged me. My family and District Four friends and acquaintances could vouch for that, but for some reason, this stupidly arrogant, attractive guy had me at a loss for words. _April, stop thinking like that. He has to die in the next couple of weeks._ I found myself saddened by the thought, but couldn't figure out why. I looked up at Cato, and he seemed proud that he had me at a loss for words.

"What's the matter? Cato got your tongue?" He asked, trying to be clever.

"You wish," I replied.

"In time," he shot back, like he was sure of it.

I tried using my knees to push him away, but that just made him even more determined. He put both my wrists together above my head with one hand and used his legs and other hand to still the movements of my legs and hips. He was too close, his breath ghosting over my face every couple of seconds. I kept squirming, trying to get away from his iron grip, but it was no use. I may have been strong, but I had no room to move and Cato's strength well overpowered my own. A glare and a scowl passed over my face and I stopped my squirming, hoping that if he saw I wasn't willing to play, he'd give up his game and let me go.

When I finally focused on staring him down, making our blue eyes meet. I was mesmorized. I didn't like this feeling I was getting. This wasn't right. Cato was an egotistical, huge, strong, brutal, and, unfortunately, very handsome boy. I had to stop this, but he still had me in his vice grip. I was, unfortunately, at his mercy. He could end my life right here and no one would know. I couldn't even formulate a scream for help, even though I was too proud for that anyway.

Then, all of a sudden, he was leaning down, inching closer and closer to my face. My heart started to race as I contemplated what was about to happen and whether or not I wanted to stop it. Thoughts were going a thousand miles an hour through my mind until I glanced down at his lips and back to his eyes and everything quieted. My breaths came out a bit shallow as he continued to get closer to my face, his eyes falling on my lips. I let my eyes close, but when I did, his movement stopped. I kept them closed, not sure I wanted to see what was about to happen.

"Look. At. Me. _April_," Cato said quietly.

My eyes fluttered open, and I was met with the icy blue gaze again. His stare was piercing, and it felt like he knew every tiny thing about me, like I was glass and he could see everything without me needing to say it. I could feel the heat of his breath on my face again, and for some reason, the urge to close the gap between us was bouncing around in my head.

He ran his tongue along his lips and smirked at me once more before saying, "You're cute when you're scared, too."

Anger bubbled within me at his words. I knew it was the exact reaction he was looking for, but I couldn't help feeling it. "I am _not_ scared. Especially not of you." I felt this inherent need to prove to this guy that he had no power over me. That was hard to prove from this position, and as much as I hated this position, I loved it just as much. I hated that I loved being this close to this arrogant, handsome jerk, when just days ago, I had been begging for more room between us on the couch. _What is wrong with me?_

I had to get away from him. It was a stupid mistake to try to tell him off and try to prove myself right now. I started squirming under his grip again, determination showing on my face. His grip tightened and his thumb started rubbing circles on my hip. As I continued to struggle I felt a sting come into my shoulders. He was lifting me off the ground by my wrists, still held above my head. My feet were no longer touching the floor.

"Cato, let go of me," I spat out fiercely. I flexed my fingers to see if I could at least reach his hand to dig my nails in, but that plan failed as well.

"You got yourself into this, little girl. Get yourself out." His grip tightened again and it was starting to hurt at that point.

I hung my head in defeat. There was absolutely nothing I could do. "I can't," I mumbled.

"What was that?"

"I can't," I said loudly, angrily, glaring at him. Our faces were close once more, and I held my ground as best I could from my position. Even though I was trapped, I was not willing to admit total defeat. He still didn't scare me, and if anything, this encounter made me want to prove myself even more.

His smirk turned into an evil one. "That's exactly what I thought. I can easily overpower you, April. I could snap your neck right here, right now. And if _you_ think for one second I won't hesitate to end you in the arena, you're _dead_ wrong." His grip was like a vice on my wrists and hip. I winced as his hands dug in. "I know you must be confused and upset with yourself. You find me attractive. I can see it. You're pressing yourself back up against me, right now." _Was I? Crap. I am…_ I tried pushing myself away from him a bit, and he just laughed and pressed himself against me more. "I can't say I don't find you attractive because you are _very_ attractive, but that won't win you the Games. I've trained for most of my life for this, and no scared little girl," I started to open my mouth to remind him that I was _not_ scared, but he kept on going, "with an attitude is going to stand in my way. You're a pretty face, and it'll be a shame to see you die. Try as you might to keep that from happening, I'm going to win the Games. You just watch."

With that, he pulled me off of the wall, placing me on the floor and lightly pushed me into the hall. I was still trying to recover from whatever had happened inside his quarters. My mind was reeling, my heart was racing, and my breathing was still coming quickly. My legs started moving on their own, back toward the door that had my sleeping quarters behind it. I was confused as to what was happening within me, the internal conflict still raging. I was halfway back to my room when I was called again.

"District Four," Cato called. I contemplated not even giving him the time of day but turned my head back to look at him. "You and I aren't done, not by a long shot." As he finished his statement, he sent me something more akin to a grin and slipped back into his room, leaving me bewildered at, not only him, but at myself as well.

I walked back to my compartment once more, sliding the door shut behind me. I fell onto the bed gratefully and rolled onto my back. I looked at my wrists to see the damage. They were a deep shade of pink. I could already tell that they were going to be bruises, which wasn't hard to do; I bruised easily as it was. My hip would probably bear a similar mark, though not as bad as my wrists. Merrick would not be happy when he saw them, and I had no way to cover them up until we got to the Capitol. With a little luck, my stylist would have something to take care of them.

I rolled over onto my stomach, climbing under the blankets, tired once again that incident. I was grateful that something good had come from it. I closed my eyes and drifted to sleep with that annoyingly handsome face haunting all my dreams once again.

It felt like I'd only been asleep for ten minutes before I heard pounding on the door. I groaned and rolled off of my stomach, looking up at the ceiling. We were still on our way to the Capitol, the trees of the Midwest moving at top speed outside my window. We wouldn't be there until the end of the day. I was looking forward to getting off of the train, but that just meant I was even closer to my possible death.

I opened the door, while trying my hair out of my face. Cicero gave me an unamused look that I seemed to be taking up so much of his morning. There wasn't much to do on the train so I didn't see what the problem was. I walked behind Cicero to the car containing my brother and my district partner. They were both eating, talking to each other, trying their best to act as if there was nothing different about the day. I plopped down next to Merrick, and started to reach for food when I saw my wrists. They were no longer pink, but they were starting to bruise. I quickly tried to place my hands in my lap, but Merrick caught my arm. He pulled if from my lap and examined my wrist. I could see anger fill his face.

"What happened?" He asked, still holding my arm.

"It was my fault. I was trying to prove myself to someone and I got shown up. It's no big deal," I replied, brushing it off.

Crest spoke up. "It's not a big deal? April, your wrists are bruised. There isn't supposed to be any physical fights between tributes until the Games start. You know that."

"_I_ started it, okay?" I was thankful they couldn't see my hip, because it was sure to be bruised, too. "It's fine! Now drop it." I was already done talking about this. I was already slightly embarrassed that I couldn't hold my own the night before. Cato now had something to hold over my head even more. I quickly yanked my arm away from my brother.

Merrick and Crest continued to stare at me as I ate, but no one said a word about my arms. Cicero had remained quiet throughout our exchange. I was surprised he hadn't flipped out on me, but I guess he had faith in my stylist and the styling team to fix me up. I began to wonder if I would like my stylist. There was a chance that I would have the same stylist as my brother, and I remember he had looked great. Hopefully whoever it was could work their magic on me as well. I was pulled from my thoughts by Cicero's voice.

"Why don't you all figure out the strategies you will use for the Games? Best to start now, don't you say, ole boy?" He asked my brother as if they were the best of friends.

Crest chimed in. "I already know what I'm doing. I'll keep my eyes open for anything that could go wrong for you and help you out for as long as I'm alive in there. You just keep yourself out of trouble."

I frowned. He talked about it like it was so easy. By helping me live, he was signing his own death warrant. "As grateful as I am that you're doing this, I still don't understand _why_ you're doing it."

"I already know I won't win, so if I can help my district partner bring home a victory, then I will," he replied. He thought it was the simplest thing in the world, but it was far from it. "And like I said yesterday, you have more to lose than I do. Your family shouldn't even be going through this again."

We continued to eat and strategize for most of the day, deciding that Crest and I wouldn't have an alliance at first in the Games. I found out that Crest's specialty weapon was a spear, and he was pretty skilled with a mace. I hadn't seen a mace in the Games in years, though. I had become pretty skilled with a trident over the years, thanks to Finnick. I was nowhere near his skill level, but it was definitely what I used the best. I liked to think I was okay with throwing knives, but I hadn't picked them up since I stopped training officially. I had more confidence in my trident and spear throwing abilities.

We were dismissed to get ready for our arrival at the Capitol in an hour. I could lie and say that I wasn't excited to see how the city looked. I'd had to hear Cicero babble on and on about it. I hoped it lived up to the hype. There were bits and pieces shown of the city every year during the broadcasting of the Games, but there was something about seeing it up close and personal that I found myself eager to see.

I made my way back to my compartment. My reaping dress was laid out on the bed, waiting for me. I walked past the bed, grabbed some new undergarments and walked into the bathroom right off of my own room. I stripped down and washed myself off. I noticed that the water was salt water. I could smell it. It wasn't exactly like the water back home, but it was close enough. _That's odd. _I finished cleaning up and got out of the shower. Grabbing a towel, I dried myself off, pulled on my undergarments and walked out into my quarters again. A shiver went through me as I felt a draft in my room, realizing I'd forgotten to shut the door and walked over to it. I started to slide the door shut, but it stopped, having only moved about an inch. _That's just fantastic._ I stuck my head out the door and looked down the hall. Seeing no one, I quickly stuck my head back in the door. My attention was back to my dress, quickly unzipping it. I was about to pull it off the bed when I heard a cough. I quickly turned around, my eyes landing on Cato. He was wearing a light blue button up shirt with black dress pants. He was smirking, just like he always did, his eyes looking me up and down again.

"Well, hello, District Four. Definitely nice to see you out of a dress," he said, quoting himself from our conversation last night.

I looked down at myself then back up at him. I didn't immediately grab my dress. I was more determined than ever to show this guy that he didn't scare me. I didn't know how standing in front of him in my underwear was going to do that, but I hoped that it showed some confidence.

"My name is _April_. Now go away, Cato," I said, putting my hands on my hips. I regretted it. The bruise on my hip hurt pretty badly, but I didn't let it show in my face. I was not about to let any weakness show, especially after the previous night. Letting him get to me again was not an option.

He leaned against the door frame. "Now, _April_, why would I want to do that when I'm perfectly comfortable where I'm at right now? Not to mention the great view I've got."

"Is that a custom in your district? I didn't realize being a peeping Tom was highly praised in District Two." I turned around and grabbed my dress off the bed. Before I could even start to put it on, it was taken from my hands and thrown back on the bed. I turned back around and Cato was right upon me once again. My hands were up, poised to push him away but he grabbed both my arms. He looked down at my wrists, and there was no mistaking the hint of sadness creep across his eyes for a split second.

"Looks like I did some damage last night," he said, no real emotion in his voice, still looking at them, but the sadness I saw was gone.

"It's nothing I can't handle," I replied, trying to get my arms from his grip, not wanting anymore bruises. "_Now let go_."

To my surprise, Cato dropped my arms. I turned around to grab my dress again, but I was grabbed by the waist and turned around. I looked up at him, confused. There was that sadness again. The Cato I had observed over the past few days showed nothing but confidence. To see this side was quite the surprise. He looked down at me, from my head to my toes, then back up. He backed up from me and walked to the door. More than a little confused, I grabbed my dress once more and started to step into it, when I heard Cato mumble something before walking down the hall. As I slid into the dress and zipped it, I thought I had heard him apologize for giving me the bruises.

Realizing it was finally pointless, I couldn't deny the attraction I found in Cato. He was extremely handsome and confident in himself. He was also overly egotistical, cruel, and lacked compassion. But the sadness I was sure I had seen in his eyes showed that he had a little kindness. It showed me he was capable of some kind of emotion. I smiled at the thought of now having that to hold over him. I was brought from my thoughts when Crest appeared in the door.

He was smiling. "We're here. You've got to see this. It's amazing." With that, he disappeared. I quickly left my room, following him back to our car of the train.

Once I reached the window, I was in awe. The buildings looked like they were made of some light colored stone. Waterways weaved in and out of the city, automatically making me miss District Four. All too quickly, we were going through a tunnel and pulled into the station and the train pulled to a stop. I looked out at the massive amount of people waiting to see us. I looked over at Crest, who looked at me, too. We decided we might as well make the most of it. We turned back to the crowed, and we began to smile and wave at them. A chorus of applause and screams erupted from the crowd as we put on our best faces. We continued this until Cicero pulled us away from the window.

It was time to go meet our stylists and styling team and get prepped.

**CATO OC CATO OC CATO OC CATO OC CATO**

And chapter three is done! I hope you guys are enjoying the story. I've had a blast writing it! Honestly, the hardest thing is finding the right song lyrics I want to go with the chapter, but I think it helps. Review! :)


	4. the sea goddess and the mighty warrior

**Thank you to all those who favorited this story and put it on alert. If you want to know, April's Tribute Parade dress was inspired by one of Anne Vyalitsina's outfits in the VS Fashion Show back in 2011. And I know some of you may not like how Cato is written in this chapter, but it's explained in one of the next chapters. Plus, he doesn't stay like this for long, and you'll only need one guess why!**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, Suzanne Collins owns the Hunger Games and everything involved with it, but I own my characters. So, don't steal them. Please? Thank you.**

_Make me your Aphrodite  
Make me your one and only  
But don't make me your enemy  
So you wanna play with magic  
Boy, you should know what you're falling for  
Baby, do you dare to do this  
Cause I'm coming at you like a dark horse_

**Chapter 4: The Sea Goddess and the Mighty Warrior**

I was laid out on a table, completely naked. I had never really been self-conscious about my body, all my training and swimming leaving me in great shape. My prep and styling team was washing me down, plucking at me, waxing me, brushing my hair, and anything else to clean me up. They had put some kind of cream on my bruises, assuring me they'd be healed by morning. They consisted of two women, Avita and Gaia, and a man, Justus.

Avita was a short, skinny girl. She looked like she couldn't be older than me. Her skin was dyed violet, matching her eyes, while her hair was actually a natural blonde color. She was dressed in a bright, lime green, tight, short dress. She had a very peppy personality, always giddy when she spoke. Gaia was a tall woman and a bit lanky looking, like her limbs had been stretched. She was much older than me, possibly even older than my mother. Her hair was bright blue and shaved on the sides, leaving only the top of her head to style. Her skin was dyed hot pink, with tattoos indented in her skin, looking more like scars. She was the quiet one of the bunch, which was the exact opposite of the way she looked. I had yet to hear her speak. She was focused on her job. Justus was definitely a cutie. Though he had bright green hair, it was groomed nicely. His facial features were that of what a model would look like, his skin its natural color. His red suit went well with him. He also didn't have a normal Capitol accent. He sounded like he came from another country. As I finished my observations of my styling team, I realized I smelled salt in the water they were using, just like the train.

"Why are you washing me with salt water?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.

Avita smiled at me, her purple eyes lighting up behind her bright yellow eyelashes. "Xerxes doesn't want the smell of the ocean washed off of you." That was actually a very nice idea. I did like the smell of the sea.

"How did you know I'd smell like the ocean?" I asked, politely.

Gaia simply smiled and looked over at Avita, who replied, "Everyone from District Four smells like the ocean."

"Not to worry, love. Xerxes is very good at what he does," Justus said, as he ripped a wax strip from my leg. I winced. I didn't understand the need for that. I kept myself pretty well groomed.

They had told me something, though. I would have the same stylist my brother had had in his Games. That meant Xerxes had been a District Four stylist for at least eight years. I was looking forward to meeting him again. Merrick had had a good experience with him, and I'd only been nine at the time I'd met him. I was glad I didn't have to worry about being dressed like an idiot.

I continued to endure the torture they were putting me through. It felt like it took them hours to finish grooming me, though I felt like I had been groomed enough before even getting there. I was finally given something to cover myself as I was led to a room with a metal gurney. I was told to lay there until Xerxes arrived to fix me up. I was excited to see how he'd help me win over the Capitol. If I was going to win, that's exactly what I needed to do. I didn't care if I needed to beg; I was going to have a memorable outfit. Thankfully, I didn't have to wait long for Xerxes to arrive.

Xerxes was a very tall, slim, younger man. He couldn't be past thirty-five years of age. He was wearing a normal, grey suit with a button up shirt unbuttoned a bit underneath it. To my surprise, Xerxes looked more normal than the first time I'd seen him. His suit definitely didn't scream Capitol fashion, but his bright yellow hair, eyebrows, and beard were definitely up to par with everyone else here, his shirt matching them. He smiled at me when he walked in.

"Hello, April. My, my, look at how you've grown! You are very beautiful! You're far better looking than your brother," he said, taking a seat next to me, examining my looks. _I like this guy already!_ "I assume my team started taking care of your injuries?" I nodded. "Good, unfortunately they won't be healed in time for the parade, but we'll cross that bridge soon enough. Now, how comfortable are you in showing some skin? I know we need to get you sponsors, but if you're not comfortable with that, we won't go there."

I smiled at his willingness to take my feelings into account, but he didn't need to worry. I wasn't really the shy away type. "I'll wear whatever you put on me."

He pumped his fist in front of him and laughed. "Good, because, in all honesty, I don't have a backup plan if you don't like the outfit. You'll look breathtaking, and the crowd will love you." He hopped off the table and walked to the door, calling for his team to bring in my outfit.

Justus, Gaia and Avita each carried in a few pieces and I saw that there wasn't much to it, but I guess that was the point. The outfit looked like a set of undergarments or a swimsuit, not that it mattered. They were black with a bit of dark blue, a design in the middle of the underwear and a colorful chainlike piece across the cups of the top. I was handed them and I put them on, taking off my paper cover-up. The entire ensemble left very little to the imagination, my butt not being completely covered and my breasts being pushed up a bit. I was then given an odd belt that had chainlike train that went around the belt, stopping at my knees in the back. Lastly, I had heels, gladiator like in style, stopping right below my knees. They were solid in the front, but opened up as they came around my legs. Justus began working on my nails, while Gaia and Avita began working on my makeup. Xerxes started working on my hair, making it come out in waves, coloring the tips the same color as my outfit. After they were finished, Xerxes dismissed his team, having to push them out because they didn't want to leave. Once they were out the door, he turned back to me.

"Would you like to see what you look like?" He asked, smiling like an idiot. I nodded, taking a deep breath.

He pulled me in front of a mirror and my heart stopped. I barely recognized myself. My makeup wasn't so crazy where you couldn't tell it was me, but it was dramatic enough to make me look desirable. They had used shadowy colors on my eyes, the eyeliner coming off in little waves on the side. There was blue glitter sprinkled on my face and in my hair. When the chains that came off the clothes moved, it looked like water was flowing from them. I could have lied and said I thought I looked hideous, but I looked pretty amazing. Xerxes had done his job.

"Holy shit!" I turned back to him, smiling. "Xerxes, this is amazing!"

He rubbed his hands together and looked me up and down. "Now, the bottoms cover up the bruise on your hip, but I'll have to find some bangles for your wrists. What in the world happened?" He asked.

"I was trying to prove myself to someone and show them that I'd be a force in the Games. It may have slightly backfired," I chuckled. My face turned serious. "But I _am_ a force to be reckoned with."

He smiled at me. "I like you. You're spunky…and feisty." He pulled me off of the table and I had to balance myself in the heels. "Come on. I'll take you to the chariots and then find those bangles." He wrapped his hands around the bruises, looking at where we were joined before letting go. "Wide bangles will be an easy find. It's just getting them to match."

With that, he opened the door and we made our way to the area where the chariots awaited the tributes. I was only the third one to arrive, District Seven already standing by their chariot. The girl was wearing a forest green dress with twig like designs coming out behind her, and the boy was dressed as a lumberjack. Their two stylists definitely weren't on the same page.

Xerxes dismissed himself to find my bracelets and I was left by myself. I hoped that Xerxes and Crest's stylist had coordinated our outfits. Not to the point where we matched exactly, though that'd be hilarious, but enough to where we didn't look stupid like District Seven. My prayers were answered when Crest walked through the door in an outfit themed like mine. He was wearing board shorts with the same design as my outfit. He donned a chest piece made of identical chains to the ones hanging off of my body. He wore no shoes and his hair was spiked in the front, the tips dyed like mine. He spotted me and jogged over, the chains jingling as he did.

"Wow, April, you look amazing!" He exclaimed, looking me up and down. I had to laugh that even _he_ couldn't help but check me out. The Capitol would be eating out of the palm of my hand.

"We both look pretty awesome," I replied, smiling.

He frowned and looked down at his outfit. "I don't know. I mean, Echo did a great job, but I feel pretty fruity in this outfit."

I spotted Glimmer and her partner, Marvel, walking in, both wearing hot pink, feathery garbs of clothing. I couldn't help but laugh. "You look like a Greek god compared to him," I said, pointing to the boy.

Crest looked over his shoulder and chuckled. He turned back and frowned again. "I think someone already has the Greek god thing down."

I turned around and spotted Cato entering where I had not long ago, alone. I could see what Crest meant when he had said Greek god. That seemed to be the theme of the outfit, mixed with a little bit of gladiator. He had a golden, winged head piece, a golden chest plate of old Greek armor with a long golden cape coming off the back of it, a typical gladiator war skirt looking bottom, and gladiator sandals up to his knees. If it was possible, it made him look more attractive. He was sure to draw in some sponsors tonight. I was determined to do the same.

His eyes caught mine and he smiled. I was a bit shocked, thinking I had seen something, but it was a real, genuine smile. It took me a few moments but I smiled back. I'd never seen him smile before, only smirk. His teeth were perfectly straight and white, and his smile was actually charming. I tried not to fall into it, because I'd already seen how he acted on the train. Cato had already shown his true colors.

He started to walk over to me, but Xerxes appeared in front of me, out of nowhere, with two dark blue, jeweled bangles in his hand. He slid them over my wrists and I could hear him talking to me, but I didn't comprehend what he was saying. I felt him rub my arm and say goodbye before walking away, taking Crest with him, for some reason. Cato had been standing right behind Xerxes and now there was no barrier between us. He walked closer, reaching the chariot and leaning on it. His smirk had returned and now his eyes were roaming over me. I was suddenly aware of how little I was wearing.

"You don't look too bad, Four. You'll catch some eyes tonight for sure," he said, teasingly. "You've sure caught mine."

I rolled my eyes. Honestly, the most annoying part of that was the nonuse of my name. "Am I going to have to write 'April' on my forehead so you'll start calling me by my name, because this 'Four' business is really getting annoying."

He held up his hands in mock defeat and let out another real smile. I definitely like those more than his smirks. "Alright, fine, _April_. If it'll make you happy, I'll call you by your name from now on."

I looked at him skeptically, knowing better than to just believe what he said. "Do you promise?"

It was his turn to roll his eyes. "I promise."

And it was my turn to smirk. "And no take backs?"

He chuckled at me. "How old are you? Five?"

I shook my head, and held out my right hand, sticking my pinky out. "Come on. If you're promising, you have to make it legit."

"What are you doing?" He asked, brows furrowed in confusion at my extended finger.

"It's a pinky swear. Humor me." A look of disbelief crossed my face as he stood there, looking at me like I had an extra hand. "You've got to be kidding me… You've never made a pinky swear before? You're joking, right?"

His face got serious for a second. "I don't joke." We stood there for a second. He was still staring at my outstretched hand. He finally sighed. "You're not going to give this up, are you?" I shook my head, giving him a look that told him he had no choice. "Alright, how does this work?"

I smiled, excited to teach this to Cato, for some reason. "Alright, hold out your hand and stick your pinky out." He held up his left hand. "No. Your right hand." He sighed and switched his hands, his pinky extended. "Now, we link our pinkies." Cato took a step forward, invading my personal bubble and interlocked out pinkies. I realized that I was flirting with Cato, using the situation to see what I could get out of him. I should've stopped it, but I didn't want to. I smiled up at him and stuck my thumb out toward me. "Now, you stick your thumb out," he followed my example, "and you bite it." We both leaned forward, our eyes never leaving each other, and bit our respective thumbs. We backed away a bit, our eyes still locked. "That's how you do a pinky swear, and you don't break a pinky swear."

Cato smirked. "I can think of a few other things to bite instead of our thumbs," he said, wiggling his eyebrows.

I quickly dropped my hand away from his and pushed him lightly. "You're sick," I said, while chuckling.

He smiled at me. "You're laughing, aren't you?"

As more tributes started to file in, I knew my time with this Cato was going to come to an end. He would put his hard exterior back up, and we'd go back to being the boy from District Two and the girl from District Four trying to get the Capitol to fall in love with us.

"You think you're so funny," I said, getting ready for our conversation to be over.

He replied with, "Oh, I know I am," just as Clove, his partner, who was dressed very similar to him, and my brother walked into the chariot area. Then, he did something I didn't expect. He took my hand and kissed the knuckles. "Make 'em cheer, _April_." With that, he walked up to the District Two chariot.

I was so shocked that I didn't even realize that Merrick had walked up. I was staring down at my hand when I felt Merrick push me. I almost lost my balance, the heels making my whole body teeter over, but I grabbed onto the chariot. I turned to him, and he didn't look too happy.

He pointed toward Cato, who was standing with Clove over at their chariot, chatting with their mentor. "What was that about?"

I rolled my eyes. I had to think of a good lie. "I was just working my way in. It could be a good idea to formally join the wealthier districts' alliance, and I can guarantee that boy will be the leader of the pack. Anything that can get me to the end of the Games, I'm going to do. So you need to chill out and trust me."

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're right. I'm sorry. I'm just being the overprotective brother." He looked around and saw that tributes were now getting on their chariots. He helped me step up onto the back of the chariot. Xerxes, Crest, and Echo, a short, plump, lavender skinned woman, walked up and Crest stepped up beside me. "I can't believe I'm saying this to my little sister, but you have to _flirt_ with the crowd. You're already dressed for it, so just…give them a good show." He said the last part like he was trying not to gag. "We'll see you on the other side," he finished, before walking back toward the door he'd entered from.

I looked over to see Crest's stylist doing last minute touch ups. Xerxes stepped over to my side of the chariot and took my right hand. "I know you can do this, April. Just pretend that you're flirting with me," he said, winking. I was glad to have a reason to laugh. "You seemed to do just fine with that boy from District Two. Pretend you're flirting with him." I didn't have a chance to recover from the comment before Xerxes left my side.

The doors ahead of us quickly opened up and I was deafened by the noise of the crowd. I could see District One's chariot begin to move forward and an even louder roar erupted from the crowd outside the doors. I suddenly began to get nervous. How was I going to make the crowd like me? Cato seemed to think my outfit would be enough. I could see his chariot begin to move, and he was immediately playing up the crowd. A few seconds later, District Three's chariot was pulled forward. _Just breathe, April. You can do this._ Crest reached over and squeezed my hand. I looked over at him and smiled. He let go of my hand just as our chariot was pulled forward. It took me a few seconds to adjust to the light and the noise, but as soon as I was able to get myself together, I immediately went into action. I was blowing kisses to the crowd, swaying my hips occasionally, doing anything I could do to flirt with the crowd. I could hear people cheering my name, and it honestly felt good to know that there were people here that liked me. That would mean it would be easier to get sponsors.

Suddenly, I heard gasping and even louder cheering than before. Everyone had turned their attention to the back of the pack of chariots and I wondered what was going on. I looked up at the large screens that projected the tributes and I saw the girl from District Twelve, Katniss, and flames were coming off the back of her. _Wow. Her stylist did a great job as well._ I tried not to lose focus as I kept waving and blowing kisses to the crowd. Most of them were captivated by Katniss, but I'd had my time in the spotlight.

We came to a stop and I looked around at the other tributes. Most of the stylists had done a great job at capturing the districts specialties, but some weren't that captivating. Some were honestly unoriginal, done so many times over the years. I was just thankful not to be dressed as a mermaid or a fish. I looked up to see that President Snow was getting ready to speak, and I already knew what he'd be saying. He said the same thing every year. As I started scoping out the tributes again, my eyes landed on Cato, who was glowering at Katniss. I knew he was upset that she'd stolen the spotlight. As he started directing his attention back to President Snow, his eyes landed on me, and his face softened a bit. He nodded at me, sent me a smirk and then turned his attention fully on Snow. I decided to do the same. He finished his speech with, "And may the odds be ever in your favor," and we were pulled through the doors below the stage. Once we were through the doors, Xerxes, Echo, and Merrick jogged over to our chariot, smiles on their faces.

Xerxes pulled me down and wrapped me in a hug. I was shocked at first, but returned it nonetheless. He pulled away from me, holding my shoulders. "You did amazing! Caesar Flickerman was calling you a goddess! A goddess of the sea!" He looked over at Echo. "We are geniuses!" _Goddess of the sea? I could deal with that._

Merrick pulled me into a hug as well. "You did great, Apricot!" He exclaimed, excitedly and much too loudly for my liking.

I hit him in the arm. "You don't yell that out here," I whispered, harshly, looking around to see if anyone had been paying attention. The last thing I needed was that being spread around.

He laughed at me. "What? Are you embarrassed, _Apricot_?"

I glared at him as we began walking to the elevator. "I'm not kidding. I will hurt—" I was cut off when I suddenly tripped, the heel of my shoe breaking mid stride, and I started to fall. At least the last time I fell, I was only in front of seven people. Now I was about to fall flat on my face in front of twenty-three other tributes and their stylists and mentors. _That's just perfect._ I closed my eyes, preparing to hit the ground, when I felt a strong arm wrap around my waist, stopping my motion. I opened my eyes to see Crest looking down at me. He pulled me back up and straightened me out.

"I think you missed the point of the Games, April," he said, chuckling at me, making sure I was stable before he let me go. "You're not supposed to get killed _before_ you go in the arena."

I rolled my eyes, antsy more than before to get away from everyone else. There was no reason to stick around after a fall like that. "Yeah. Laugh it up. I can't walk well in heels."

I continued walking behind them, more like limping with my legs at uneven heights, and I looked over at Cato. He was sending daggers at Crest's back, and I could've sworn that jealousy ran over his face. That boy confused the hell out of me. We made it to the elevator and pressed the button labeled with a number four. We were to be separated by floors, each district going to their corresponding floor number. I started to take off my shoes, broken one first, as the elevator quickly made its way up. By the time I got the second shoe off, the elevator doors opened and we walked into our apartment.

The place was extravagant. We had to walk past a couple of walls, but once we were passed them, we could see how the place was divided up. There was a hall lined with doors, which I assumed was where we would all be sleeping. There was a living area, where we'd watch Caesar Flickerman and other Capitol celebrities talk about this year's Games. _Joy._ Separated from the living area by another wall, was the dining area. An amazing decorated table and chairs sat elegantly in the middle of the room.

Cicero was already in the living area, Caesar and Claudius already going over the Tribute Parade on the screen. It hadn't even been ten minutes, and we were already being analyzed. They glossed over the first district, spent a little time Cato and Clove, and barely even mentioned District Three.

"And what about April, from District Four, and her partner Crest?" Caesar asked, that huge signature smile on his face. "They looked absolutely stunning, and the crowd was certainly giving her the attention she wanted."

"She was definitely one of the crowd favorites tonight," Claudius agreed.

If it were possible, Caesar's face lit up even more. "But what about the surprise from District Twelve?" He asked, excitedly smacking the top of his desk. "Katniss Everdeen, the Girl on Fire. She'll be some competition when it comes to getting sponsors if she keeps surprising people like that."

If I hadn't been so tired that I was practically dead on my feet, I would have been worried about competing for sponsors. Xerxes told Crest and I that we should get changed and get to bed, because our training would start tomorrow. We both nodded and made our way down the hall of doors. We took the rooms that were across from each other and made our way inside our respective rooms. I closed the door behind me and immediately started taking off my costume. As soon as I was stripped down, I made my way to the bathroom and washed the day off of me. Glitter, makeup, and blue dye made its way down the drain. The water still smelled a little salty, but not as salty as on the train or when I was being prepped, and it changed near the end so I could rinse my hair properly. When I was done, I dried myself off and made my way back into my room. I pulled on some clothes and climbed into bed. I spotted a remote on the nightstand and decided to play around with it. The button I pushed turned the view of the Capitol into a view of a forest. I searched through the screens until I found what I was looking for—an ocean. I put the remote down and lay down, surrounding myself with a blanket. I drifted to sleep listening to the sound of waves crashing on a beach.

Tomorrow would be an interesting day, and I had to be ready.

**CATO OC CATO OC CATO OC CATO OC CATO**

So I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be updating every Saturday. It'll just be whenever I feel like posting a chapter haha. Most of the chapters are already completely written and just need some tweaking so whenever I feel like the next chapter is ready to be seen, which shouldn't take long, you'll get it. Thank you guys for reading and see you next time!


	5. training day

**Thank you to all those who favorited this story, put it on alert, or reviewed it. I'm really happy with the response to this fic, especially since the Hunger Games is in its 'off season' as you might call it. I probably should have waited to start posting it, but I was to the point where I couldn't let this story set on my computer any longer. I'm super happy with this chapter, and you get to see some feistiness from April today! Also, I know in the books, Finnick won the 65****th**** Hunger Games, but I'm either going to push it back or push it forward one year.**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, Suzanne Collins owns the Hunger Games and everything involved with it, but I own my characters. So, don't steal them. Please? Thank you.**

_I will not bow, I will not break  
I will shut the world away  
I will not fall, I will not fade  
I will take your breath away_

**Chapter 5: Training Day**

The worst thing to wake up to was definitely Cicero pounding on my door, yelling for me to get up. I groaned in response, and he seemed satisfied with it. I could hear him move onto Crest's door and give him the same treatment. Pulling myself into a sitting position, I looked around my room, the ocean still going strong on the window. I forced myself to turn it off. I couldn't start out the day with memories of District Four and be sad all day. I had to train today. The Gamemakers would be watching me and needed to be impressed.

I got out of bed and walked into the bathroom. Pulling my hair back and pinning the rest out of my face, I saw my wrists. They were no longer bruised. I touched them and was surprised to find that they still hurt. I moved them around and found only a small uncomfortable feeling. I was happy to find that they wouldn't bother me during training today.

I left the bathroom and saw my training day outfit on the bed. It was a pair of sleek black pants with silver going down the side and a shirt that was black, silver and red, my district number on the back and on both sleeves. I put them on and made my way down the hall to the dining area, where breakfast was being served. Merrick and Cicero were both sitting at the table. While Merrick stuffed his face, Cicero was gingerly eating. _Capitols._ I sat down next to Merrick as Crest made his way into the dining area, in an outfit the same as mine. He took the seat next to me. We both seemed not-so-eager about the day as we picked at our plates of food.

Merrick put down his fork and looked over at us. He clapped his hand together to get our attention. "All right, you two, today is essential. There are only two important things about your training. You have to make a good first impression and an outstanding last impression, which won't come until your individual scoring, obviously. Don't hang around each other too much, not during training or during lunch. We don't need them knowing you two are in together. Him as a safety net in the games needs to be a well-kept secret. Today, focus more on your second best weapon and survival stations."

"But you just said make a good first impression. How do we do that without showing our best skills?" I asked. I had been looking forward to scaring and impressing everyone with my skills with the trident.

"I didn't say you couldn't use your best weapon, but if you do use it, don't show your natural skill level. Just focus mainly on your second best weapon, and both of you, try something you're not totally confident in. Get a feel for other weapons just in case you don't impress the judges enough for them to give you your best."

"That's comforting," I said, taking a small bite of eggs.

Merrick stood up and put a hand on mine and Crest's shoulders. "You two will do just fine."

Crest and I finished picking at our food before we stood up and followed Merrick to the elevator. As the elevator descended, I began to feel the same nervousness I did on Reaping Day and right before the tribute parade. I would be displaying my skills, not only to the people who would control the arena but to my competition, as well. These people would be sizing me up and vice versa. Even though Merrick had given us advice, I still didn't know if I should play myself as strong as I actually was or play myself to be weaker. Either way, this was going to be very interesting.

The elevator stopped too soon for my liking. We made our way along the halls until we came to the elevators that led to the training area below the building. Crest entered and I started to follow, but Merrick grabbed my arm. Crest nodded to him as the doors shut, and I turned to Merrick.

"You're going to be fine. We all believe in you, Apricot," Merrick said, trying to comfort me.

For the first time, I didn't scold him for using the nickname. "I'll try to believe in me, too, then," I replied, sending him a smile. I leaned forward and gave him a quick hug before turning around and entering the elevator. It descended rapidly, and the doors opened just as quickly as they'd closed, revealing a massive gym filled with weapon and survival stations, as well as obstacle courses and, what looked to be, a sparring ring.

The tributes that had arrived were standing in a semicircle around a Capitol woman. I decided to go with what Merrick said and not join Crest. As more tributes filtered in, I began to look around at them. I had to admit that I was lucky to have been from District Four. Though I was short, I was one of the more sturdy looking tributes. Of course, the tributes from Districts One and Two were far stronger looking than the rest. It was hard looking at some of the poorer districts' tributes. Some were very malnourished, like they hadn't ever had a proper meal. My eyes fell on the last two tributes to arrive: the pair from District Twelve. The boy, Peeta, I believe, actually looked pretty strong. I looked at the girl, Katniss, just as she looked at me. I sent her a small smile, and she seemed genuinely shocked. It made me sad to think of the reputation my district had.

The Capitol trainer, Atala, told us the rules of training that would take place over the next four days. We weren't allowed to fight other tributes, so the sparring ring could only be used with a Capitol assigned sparring partner. After showing us the individual stations, she allowed us to go off on our own. Crest and I didn't even glance at each other before we went to separate stations. I was excited when I saw a trident on the same rack as the spears but didn't go with it straightaway. I threw a few spears at the targets that were set up, hitting each in the spots that lit up. I continued to throw spears of different weight and different spearheads until the trainer told me I didn't need to practice at that station any longer. I looked around the training room, trying to decide what to do next when I spotted Crest. I was happy to see that he had found a mace to practice with. He was actually really skilled with it, using it to hack the dummies to pieces. My gaze continued around the room when I saw Clove place the throwing knives she was just using on that station's table. I decided I would try my luck with that station.

Though I hadn't thrown one in years, I thought it would be a lot easier than it was. I was lucky to hit any of the targets that lit up. What made it all worse was the fact that Districts One and Two were staring me down the entire time, laughing every time I missed, whispering to themselves. At first it was annoying, then I began to feel the anger build inside of me. I tried to control it, but I couldn't help but be angry at their antics. I wanted so badly to prove them wrong, but the more I tried, the worse I got. The laughter from the four tributes standing against the wall near the station continued to grow. On my last throw, I completely missed the dummy that had lit up, and the knife bounced off the wall behind it, not even sticking in. I decided I'd give up that station for the time being. Thoroughly embarrassed with myself, I sat the knives down, sighing as I walked away.

"You should probably just off yourself now," Marvel yelled. "Though, she'd probably fail at that, too."

"What's the matter?" I heard Cato call from behind me. "Too much pressure for you, _Apricot_?"

That was the last straw. I saw red. It was barely acceptable for Merrick to use that in a sweet way, but for someone I'd just met to use that name in such a condescending tone was another angering matter altogether. As they continued to laugh at the nickname, I marched over to the spear rack and grabbed the trident. I swirled around, not taking long to aim, and launched it straight at Cato, two of the prongs embedding themselves in the wall on either side of his neck, effectively pinning him to the wall he was leaning against.

The entire gym went silent, all eyes darting between me and Cato. He was glowering at me, and I was sure my expression wasn't much different. "_You_ are _NOT_ allowed to call me that!" I yelled, furious, my breathing heavy and ragged. He immediately ripped the trident from the wall, freeing himself. He started to stalk over to me, before two of the guards grabbed my arms, escorting me to the elevators. After being scolded for my actions with a warning that if it happened again, there would be consequences, I was ordered to get some air to cool down before returning to get lunch.

As soon as the elevator doors opened, Merrick was standing there looking very upset. I had to wonder how he had been told _that_ quickly or if he had been watching me train the entire time. Stepping around him, I scrubbed my hands over my face as I found a wall to slink down. He was standing over me instantly.

"Did you _really_ just pin the District Two boy to a wall with a trident?" I didn't grace his question with an answer when he already knew what it was. "April, what the hell were you thinking? Number one, you know you're not supposed to directly fight with another tribute before the Games, and number two, I told you not to show your strongest weapon today." When I didn't respond, he let out an exasperated sigh. "Do you realize how much trouble you could've gotten into?"

"He called me Apricot," I mumbled quietly, not looking at him.

"What?" He asked for clarification.

I looked up at him, still annoyed at the boy down below us. "I was at the throwing knives station, failing miserably. He and the other three from the first two districts were laughing at me, and as I walked away, he called me Apricot." Once I finished my explanation, I looked away again.

I felt Merrick slide down next to me. "April, you really can't keep doing these stupid things. Granted, I'm the only one allowed to call you that." I gave him a very skeptical look. "Okay, you don't like it when I call you that either, but I don't see you throwing tridents at me for it." I sighed, calming down a bit as he spoke. "You can't let them get to you, April. If you let them get to you, they win. And wasn't it you that said there could be a possible alliance? That won't happen if you keep this up. So, just go back in there and ignore them. Can you do that for me?"

I tried not to look at my brother as I mulled over his words. There was just something about the foursome from the first two districts; Cato knew exactly how to get under my skin. It was the most unnerving feeling that someone I had known for three days could see through me like glass. "I guess I can try."

"Thank you."

Merrick stood up, and then turned around to help me off the ground. I knew he was right. I couldn't create enemies before going into the arena, even though that's what they already were. The moment their names were drawn, the twenty-three boys and girls below me had become my rivals, my obstacles. They had become what stood between me and the rest of my life, but I had to put that aside for just a bit in order to extend my life in the arena.

I walked quickly over to the elevators, assuring the trainers that I was calmed down enough, and they took me back to the gym. As soon as the doors opened, my eyes landed on Cato, who seemed to be venting his anger by massacring dummies with a sword. He must've heard the elevator doors open, because he locked eyes with me just as he chopped the head off of one. I made sure my face was schooled, mirroring the anger I saw in his. There wouldn't be any more weapons training before lunch for me, so I made my way over to the snare station, where the two tributes from District Twelve were practicing. The Capitol man showed me the ropes of how to make snares before leaving me to my own devices. The station was eerily quiet, and I could tell it was because the two tributes were wary of me, so I decided I'd be the first to speak.

"You seem to be pretty good at that," I said to Katniss. The look on her face when she looked at me was priceless. She hadn't expected me to say anything, let alone compliment her on her skills. There was no response from her at first, so I decided to try again. "Have you done this before?"

"I…made snares back home…" She seemed reluctant to talk to me at first. I assumed it was because I was from District Four. From what I had always seen of the wealthier districts in the games, if I were from her district, I wouldn't want to talk to me either.

I tried several times to get mine to stay in place, but it wouldn't seem to work. "I'm only used to making fishing knots back home."

She stopped her movements and looked over at her partner, who shrugged before looking back at me before saying, "Why are you talking to me?"

My district's reputation must have been worse than I thought if she was surprised I was even speaking to her. "What do you mean?"

"You're from District Four; a Career," Peeta explained. "Why are you talking to us?"

I looked at both of them, confused by the term he had used. "A Career? What is that?" I had never heard the term before and was curious as to what he was calling me, honestly hoping it didn't have a negative connotation.

"You're a Career. You're from one of the wealthier districts. You've been trained your whole life for the Games, right?"

It all made sense. A Career, one who had made it their mission to conquer the Games. I wouldn't have voluntarily thrown myself into that category, since I had stopped formal training at our academy four years prior to my reaping, but Merrick and Finnick had made sure I would be fully prepared in case the worst had happened. "I definitely haven't been training my whole life. District Four isn't as bad as Districts One and Two."

"That still doesn't explain why you're talking to us," the boy said. "Everyone seems to be keeping their distance."

I had to laugh. "Man, my district really has a bad reputation. I promise that we're not all bad." I put my ropes down and extended my hand to the two of them. "I'm April Hylet. You guys were the ones on fire last night, right?"

"Katniss Everdeen," she said, shaking my hand hesitantly. "Yeah, that was us."

"I'm Peeta," he said, taking my hand in his. "Peeta Mellark."

"Nice to meet you guys," I said, picking my rope back up. "Or at least it would be under different circumstances."

"Is it true that your older brother is your mentor?" Peeta asked, blatantly.

"Peeta!" Katniss hissed, probably assuming that it was a rude thing to ask.

"No worries, Katniss," I laughed, honestly expecting the question more than I had gotten it over the short time I had been there. No one seemed to bring up Merrick. I had to remind myself Caesar would probably ask about him in my interview. "Yeah, Merrick is my brother. He won the 65th Games when I was nine."

"So, you're seventeen?" Katniss asked.

"Yes. I'll be eighteen soon. Funnily enough, we were all born around Reaping Day. Merrick was reaped two days after his birthday, and my other brother Wade had his birthday two weeks ago. Mine's in a week…" _I hope._ "What about you guys?" I asked as I tried to set another snare, failing miserably.

"We're both sixteen," Peeta answered. "So what are you good at? Besides spearing people to walls…" He let out a chuckle at the end.

"Well, tridents are what I'm good at. Finnick's trained me on them for the last four or five years. Even though I'm hopeless with snares, I've got tons of practice making nets back home." I started knotting the ropes I'd been given into a net. I knew it wouldn't be big once it was finished, but I needed to have something to show by the end of this.

"Is that a common name in your District or are you talking about _the_ Finnick Odair?" Peeta asked, visibly gulping.

"The one and only," I said, laughing a bit. I had never seen anyone react to Finnick's name in person before, just on the television when the Capitol talked about him on occasion. "Everyone is so enamored by him, but to me, he's just Finnick."

"What does your family do in District Four?" Katniss asked, and the question made me smile. Small talk was better than the awkward silence that had enveloped us when I had first walked over.

"My father owns a quite a few fishing boats. He used to fish a lot himself, but with as many boats as he has, he's hired more people to go out instead," I explained as I finished off the small net I had been making. "What about you?"

"Frosting," Peeta said seriously, and I burst out laughing. But when his face didn't change, I looked at him, confused. "My family runs a bakery in Twelve. I frosted the cakes."

Just as I was about to reply, Atala called for lunch, and I was grateful to get some food in me. "It was nice talking to you two. I'll see you guys around."

"You can eat lunch with us, if you like," Katniss said as I stood.

I considered her offer carefully, knowing I wouldn't be eating with Crest per Merrick's orders. It would be good to explore possible alliances if I wasn't going to be part of what Katniss and Peeta called the Careers, so I gave a slow nod and a small smile. It would be nice to have someone to eat with and not skulk in the corner, constantly glaring at Cato and his band of miscreants.

I ended up doing just that, the table of Careers looking over at me every two seconds and obviously making fun of my throwing knife attempts once again. I saw the girl from Two pick up her fork and easily making it stick into the wall, barely making out her praising her "far more advanced" throwing skills. Katniss told me not to let them get to me before making the comment that people got under her skin, too, and she got where my anger was coming from. It was nice to have someone that understood me for once. Before we all left to go back to the gymnasium, Peeta made the comment that my fork was bigger, causing Katniss and me to laugh. I couldn't put my finger on it, but there was something about their interaction that didn't sit right with me; I didn't dwell on it once we were back in the training area.

Having proved just how good I was using a trident with my stunt before lunch, I decided I could give the throwing knives another chance. It didn't matter if I made a fool of myself or not, they knew not to mess with me again. The station was empty as we all walked back into the training center, and I made a bee line for it, determined to show I was at least competent in the skill. Even if it took the rest of the time we had in the training room that day, I would reacquaint myself with throwing knives. After what had happened before lunch, I wasn't as nervous about messing up at the station and being more relaxed was making the idea of practicing with them easier.

I didn't bother looking at the Capitol trainer as I stopped at the table holding the knives; he would stop to help me if I started to make an idiot of myself again. Picking up a couple of the knives and testing their feel in my hand, I chose one of the blade heavy knives first. I didn't bother looking around to see if anyone was looking at me. That kind of pressure wasn't what I needed. They could laugh all they wanted if I screwed up. I would just have to try my damnedest not to let it phase me.

I stepped away from the table with the knives and took my place in front of the targets set up across from me. The closest one lit up red, illuminating the body outlined within the foam. I widened my stance, brought the throwing knife back toward me, and took a deep breath. Aiming for the heart, I started moving my arm toward the target.

"You need to widen your stance more," said a familiar voice.

The sudden words startled me, and my knife sailed through the air before embedding in the foot of the target. I turned around slowly, surprised at whose voice I had heard. Cato was standing there with his arms folded over his chest, and I was surprised that his face seemed almost calm. There was no scowl like I expected there to be after the incident with the trident, and his signature smirk was nowhere to be seen. His gaze was almost analytical, as if he had been studying me for errors.

"What do you want?" I asked impatiently, gripping the handle of my remaining knife a little tighter.

Cato took a couple of steps forward, crossing over into my personal space. I could see the other three from the first two districts at the nearby spear station, glancing over at us occasionally. Marvel and Clove didn't seem too worried, but every time Glimmer looked at me, it was with a glare. I wanted to laugh at her obvious distaste for the fact that Cato was paying attention to me and not her.

"I want you," he said, turning my body back toward the targets and pulling me from thoughts of the other, "to widen your stance. Put your weight on your dominant foot." He pushed my left foot forward with his and pulled my body back so that most of my weight was on my right foot. Some of my training before I left the training center back home was coming back to me as he moved my body into the right position. "Bring the knife…"

"Up by my head," I finished for him. "I remember." There were bits of my training that were still there, and it was hard to admit that Cato was actually helping fill in the missing pieces. I felt him step away from me as I aimed the knife at the heart once more, taking another deep breath before letting it fly.

The sound of the knife driving into the target rang in my ears and a small smile crept up my face. The knife was sticking out just an inch below where I had aimed it, far better than what I had been doing earlier in the day. A feeling of being rather pleased with myself washed over me, but as I turned around to thank Cato, he was already walking back to the other three tributes from his alliance. I schooled my face as quickly as I could, not wanting any of them to see that I was happy with Cato's help. They didn't need to see that I wasn't as furious with him as I had been earlier.

Turning back to the targets, I practiced with the throwing knives until we were dismissed for the day.

**CATO OC CATO OC CATO OC CATO OC CATO**

And chapter five is done! I think this chapter turned out really well, and I hope I'm going at a thought out enough pace. I hope you can see what kind of dynamic will be going on between the two of them, because I honestly love it. Let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is always encouraged, as are general compliments ;)


	6. unexpected turn of events

**Thank you to all those who favorited this story, have put it on alert, or reviewed it. I don't have much to say about this chapter except that April has a mouth and can't shut up sometimes. And I love her. She's been developing herself all on her own over the past year and a half to where she's almost a living, breathing every time I open a word document, and I can't stop her. I really hope you like where she's going because she'll be sticking around for a while :)**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, Suzanne Collins owns the Hunger Games and everything involved with it, but I own my characters. So, don't steal them. Please? Thank you.**

_I'm bleeding out, so if the last thing that I do  
Is bring you down, I'd bleed out for you  
So I bear my skin, and I count my sins  
And I close my eyes, and I take it in  
I'm bleeding out, I'm bleeding out for you_

**Chapter 6: Unexpected Turn of Events**

Everyone started filtering out of the training room and onto the elevators. Glimmer was trying to hang on to Cato, laughing like a ditz. He was obviously not enjoying himself, which I found equally amusing. After calming down and our encounter at the throwing knife station, I was glad I hadn't killed him with the trident. I looked around the training room to see Marvel staring at the scene, too, sneering at them. I quickly came to the conclusion that Marvel was jealous of Cato, and I knew my conclusion was correct. I walked over near him as he threw a knife angrily at a dummy.

"What's the matter, Marvel? Upset that your district partner abandoned you?" I asked, taking pride in the fact that I could get back at him for his earlier comment.

"Shut up, Four," he said, throwing another knife right next to the first.

"I'm sure I'd be upset too if my district partner was all over someone else, acting as if I didn't even exist." I paused for a moment, stroking my chin as if trying to think of something before pretending it dawned on me. "And that would mean that you're jealous! Wow. That _is_ fantastic."

He flung yet another knife, even more angrily, if possible. "I told you to shut up," he spat through gritted teeth, over his shoulder.

"Does it hurt that she finds Cato more attractive than you? Does it bother you that she continues to throw herself at him when he shows no interest? Has it always been that way?" I knew I was getting mean, but I didn't care. He had pissed me off earlier, and I was always a firm believer in karma being a bitch. "Have you always been looked over because you're just not as attractive, not as strong, and not as memorable as the other boys in your district?"

Marvel threw his knives down and stalked over to me. We stood toe to toe, his lanky form towering over me. He wasn't as scary, intimidating or as attractive as Cato. "SHUT UP!"

I was not going to back down. Whatever feelings of anger I still had left over for him and Cato were being put all on him. "What's wrong, Marvel? You can dish it, but you can't take-"

I hit the floor quickly. I hadn't even seen his fist flying at my face before it was too late. My cheek stung badly from the force of the hit; I was surprised at how much power he'd put behind it. I looked up to see Marvel's fist now clenched at his side. He was fuming, breathing heavily. "If you know what's good for you, you'll shut up." He walked past me quickly, across the room and onto the elevator.

I sat up and rubbed my cheek. I pulled my hand away and there was a bit of blood on my fingertips. I had to stop getting hurt. My styling team had easily taken care of the bruises Cato had given me and I hope they'd be able to take care of whatever Marvel had done to my face. As I pulled myself off the floor, I thought of what my brother and everyone else would say. I walked to the elevator and pushed the button for the penthouse. I hoped Katniss would let me clean up and figure out how to cover it up there. It didn't take long to reach the floor, and I stepped out when the doors opened.

It was extremely big, amazing really. It had a large living space, a long dining table and multiple seating spaces all on different elevated platforms. I was amazed at how big and elaborate everything was compared to my own apartment. I was so distracted by the beauty of it that I didn't notice their escort walk up.

"May I help you?" She asked, a bossy tone half hidden in her words.

"I need to see Katniss, if that's alright," I replied, trying to be polite. My face was throbbing now.

She looked me up and down, her gaze falling on my cheek. I didn't even know what the damage Marvel had done looked like. Her expression lightened up a bit.

"She's down at the end of the hall on the left, dear," she answered, pointing down the hall.

I thanked her quickly and walked just as swiftly down the hall. I needed to see what my face looked like. I needed to clean up. I reached the door I was looking for and knocked. The door opened and Katniss smiled at me, then her eyes fell on my cheek. She looked at me questioningly.

"Can I clean up here, Katniss?" I asked, innocently.

"Yeah, of course. I'm sure your brother would hate to see you like that," she said, pointing toward the bathroom.

I walked into the room she was pointing toward and looked in the mirror. Marvel had somehow split my cheek open a bit. There was a bit of blood around the small cut and the entire area was red, some of it was actually already bruising. The redness reached up to the bottom of my eye, and I hoped that it wouldn't affect my eye as it worsened. I grabbed a washcloth from a door next to the shower and turned on the faucet in the sink. I wet the cloth with water and dabbed my cheek until it was free of blood.

"So who did it?" Katniss asked, finally speaking up.

"Marvel from District One, but I was asking for it," I replied, grinning even though it hurt before continuing to clean the wound on my face. "I sort of pointed out that he was jealous that Cato was hogging all of Glimmer's attention and it just got worse after that." I put the cloth down and pulled my hair from its confines, fixing it to where it covered most of my injury, hoping Merrick wouldn't notice. All I needed was to get Xerxes alone to fix it before it got too bad. I sighed and turned back to Katniss, who was standing in the doorway. "Think I could pass it by unnoticed?"

She examined my face for a minute before saying, "As long as you don't sit down long enough for them to look at you."

_That's fantastic._ I frowned, not getting the answer I was looking for. I'd have to deal with questions from Cicero, Merrick, and Crest. I knew Xerxes would probably not be happy with me, but I had to hope he could fix my face before the interviews.

"Thanks for letting me use your bathroom, Katniss. I'll see you tomorrow at training," I said, smiling at her, immediately regretting it. It was easy to tell that my cheek would be hurting for a couple of days.

I walked through their penthouse and back to the elevator. I pressed four and prepared for the bombardment of questions that was sure to come. I closed my eyes and leaned back against the wall of the elevator. I didn't realize how badly my face hurt. I played with my hair a little more to make sure my cheek was covered enough to get me through a bit of dinner. The doors of the elevator opened all too soon, and I stepped off, headed to my room to change out of my training outfit. I pulled on a bright turquoise ruffled tank top and a pair of black shorts. Looking at myself in the mirror, I decided I'd be able to make it through dinner as long as I didn't look at people when they talked to me.

I walked out of my room and to the table in the dining area where everyone was already seated. I quickly took my seat, placed my napkin in my lap and looked down at the plate of food an Avox had placed in front of me.

I saw Merrick look at me out of the corner of my eye. "What made you so late?" He asked.

I decided I wouldn't totally lie. "I went to visit Katniss from District Twelve on her floor. She could be a possible ally in the arena."

I could tell he was skeptical, but I couldn't look up to be sure. As long as I could make it through dinner, I could see Xerxes afterwards for him to work his magic. _Just get through dinner._ My plan was soon ruined.

"April, what is on your cheek?" Crest asked. As much as I loved him for everything he was doing for me and my family, I wanted to punch him in the face.

I continued to look down at my plate. "There's nothing on my cheek," I replied, chuckling awkwardly.

Merrick didn't believe me. "April, look at me."

"I'd really rather not."

Merrick was having none of it. He grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him. The action made my hair fall away from my cheek. His face immediately flashed with anger, and I heard Xerxes and Cicero both gasp at the end of the table. "Who did this?"

I ripped my face from his hand. "It's nothing to worry about. Xerxes, you can fix it, right?"

Xerxes opened his mouth to reply, but Merrick cut him off. "April Hylet, answer my question now!"

I'd never really heard Merrick yell with such anger before. "Merrick, it _is_ nothing! I asked for it, I got it. I actually deserved it more than usual this time. So don't worry about it!"

"Well you better start watching yourself and keeping your mouth shut before you start making more enemies than allies. We talked about this, April! You'll get yourself killed before the Games even start. You can't keep doing stupid stuff like this! I can only do so much," he finished, his fist pounding the table.

I immediately stood up and threw my napkin on the table. "Suddenly, I'm not very hungry." I walked quickly to my room, ignoring the calls from everyone at the table. I slammed the door and fell onto the bed. I was pretty sure I laid there for half an hour before I heard the door open slowly. I rolled over to see Xerxes standing there, holding a silver container. I sat up and looked sadly at him. He took a seat next to me and examined my face before beginning to open the container.

He smiled at me. "Not to worry, sweet cheeks. I'll have you fixed up faster than you can say 'Quarter Quell.'" He knew that my face wasn't what was bothering me. "There's no need to be sad, April. You know how your brother is. Once he cools down, you two will be as right as rain. Now give me your face." I turned my face toward him and he began to rub the clear gel on my cheek. "This will heal the cut and bring the bruising and swelling down. It'll be completely gone before your interview. We'll put some more on it in the morning." He wiped off the excess gel around the edges and continued to rub it into my skin until it was completely soaked in. "Finished." He stood up, but I stopped him from leaving.

"Xerxes, is there a pool in this place?"

"Yes, there is, but I wouldn't get your face wet right now," he replied, frowning.

I shook my head. "I just want to stick my legs in for a bit. The water calms me down."

He smiled at me. "You're more like your brother than you will ever know. It's on the south side of the roof." He walked back to the door, sending me a wink before closing the door. _I love that man._

I quickly got up from my bed and walked over to the mirror. My face looked the same. My right cheek was just a bit shinier from the medicine. I pushed my hair to cover my face a bit again, and then walked out of my room, avoiding the dining area, making my way to the elevator. I stepped in, pressed the roof button and waited as the elevator ascended quickly. The doors of the elevator opened quickly and I stepped out. I walked around to the south side of the roof and spotted the giant pool. I'd have to swim in it before I had to go into the arena. I walked over to the pool, slinking down and slipping my legs into it. It was the perfect temperature.

As I sat by the pool, my legs moving back and forth, gliding through the water, I couldn't help but be drawn back to District Four. The feel of the waves crashing against my legs, the smell of the sea, and the sounds of the gulls flying overhead filled my brain. I missed my district so much. I thought of my family and Nixie and how much they must be worried. I thought of Crest's family and how he was sure he'd never see them again. I felt a tear slide down my left cheek and I quickly wiped it away. I just continued to let my legs glide in the water, concentrating on how amazing the water sounded and felt going around my legs. My moment was ruined when I heard something else enter the water to my left. I opened my eyes to see Cato sitting next to me.

I sighed. "Will you ever leave me alone? Can I ever get a moment away from you?"

He held up his hand in mock surrender. "I didn't even know you were up here. I had to get away from Glimmer. That girl could talk for hours about absolutely nothing, and she's always all over me."

"I wouldn't think you'd have a problem with that," I mumbled, surprised by the jealousy in my tone. If Cato had heard me, he didn't make any comments about my words or attitude. The next time I spoke, I made sure he would hear. "She's my first target when we get into the arena. This sounds awful, but there are some people the world could live without, and she is one of them." I mentally cursed myself for making a joke about someone dying.

Cato chuckled and I saw that same, real smile I'd seen at the tribute parade. It was such a nice smile. He looked up at the sky, still laughing lightly. "I'll agree to that." He was acting different, not unlike he had at the parade. I decided I could get used to this lighter hearted Cato. He looked over at me, and I looked to him a bit. "You know, you're not so bad with a trident."

I scoffed. "Not so bad? I'm amazing. I mean, I'm no Finnick Odair, but I'm still pretty awesome." I thought back to what happened in training today. I had to be the bigger person here. "Sorry about throwing it at your neck earlier. I kind of let my anger build up until it spilled over. I hate that fucking nickname, so don't think that you can just use it any time you want."

"Don't apologize. If there's anyone who knows about tempers, it would be me," he said, moving his feet through the water, creating ripples.

"Is that why you were a dick today after being such a Mr. Charming at the Tribute Parade yesterday?" I asked, honestly wondering what had caused the dramatic change. "Or do you just act like that around the others?" He seemed surprised by my question, and he wasn't able to cover up his reaction quickly enough for it to go unnoticed. "What? Did I look at you wrong this morning or something?"

Cato rolled his eyes, and it seemed like it was more toward himself than at my comment. "Last night, you and your partner seemed close," he said, shaking his head and laughing at the thought.

Confusion moved across my face as I repeated his words over in my head until it dawned on me. "Like we're together or something?" I couldn't help but start laughing. Guys and jealousy was obviously the theme for the day. Though, the fact that Cato seemed jealous of Crest made my heart flutter in my chest. "Because he kept me from tripping and making an ass of myself? No. I barely know the guy." That wasn't entirely true, but Crest and I were still putting up the act that we weren't going into the Games together. "Goes to show you that saying about assuming is correct."

"I guess, you'd be right," he said, looking back out at the pool. It seemed he was trying to think of anything to get away from the subject. "You know, that little stunt actually got the other's thinking about putting you in the alliance. Usually Four is in with One and Two anyway, but now it's pretty much a for sure." _Even after what I said to Marvel today?_

"And what if I don't want to be in your little alliance?" I asked, smiling and winking at him.

He smiled back at me, but it soon turned to a frown. He grabbed my face and pulled it closer. That's when I realized that my hair must've fallen away from my face and he'd seen my injury. For some reason, his eyes filled with anger that was similar to what I'd seen on Merrick's face. He didn't let go of me. "Who did this?" He asked, mimicking my brother's question.

I tried to pull my face away, but couldn't get out of his grip. "I deserved it," I explained for a second time that night. "I was running my mouth, like I always do, and it got me a punch in the face." I gave him a look. "You can't seriously be mad about someone hurting me when you gave me bruises just a few nights ago."

His anger didn't fade, but there was that sadness that flashed across his eyes again. He regained his composure quickly. "April, tell me who did this." His voice was even but there was an underlying tone of hatred beneath it; he wasn't kidding when he said he knew about tempers.

The tone was frightening, but I kept my face neutral. I knew if I didn't answer, he would try to find out on his own. "Marvel…"

He was immediately out of the pool and quickly moved toward the elevator. I soon realized what was about to happen and ran after him. I caught the elevator before it could go down, the button for the first floor apartment already illuminated. I stood in front of Cato's fuming figure, the elevator moving too fast for my liking. "Cato, whatever you're thinking of doing, just don't do it. It isn't worth getting in trouble."

He stared at the elevator doors over my head. "Move, April. I don't know if I can…" He trailed off as the doors opened.

I put my hands on his chest to stop him from going, but my efforts were useless. He literally picked me up by my upper arms and moved me out of the way, walking into District One's apartment. I followed him, calling his name, but it did no good, either. He reached the living area all too soon, Glimmer and Marvel sitting on the couch, watching an old showing of the Hunger Games. I immediately recognized it as the 65th Hunger Games, the year Merrick had been crowned victor. Glimmer looked around, smiling when she saw Cato, but frowned when her eyes landed on me. Marvel started to greet Cato before he was grabbed and slammed onto the ground. He gasped as Cato's hand wrapped around his throat.

"Don't you _ever_ touch her again, do you understand?" He slammed Marvel's head into the floor and Marvel let out a strained groan. "You may be a one of us, but I won't hesitate to end your life as soon as that countdown hits zero if you ever do something so stupid and idiotic ever again!" He slammed Marvel's head onto the ground again. "I'm waiting for an answer!" He did it again. _Slam_. I did the only thing I could think of to stop this. I jumped onto Cato's back.

"Cato, stop! He gets it," I said, trying to pry his fingers away from Marvel's throat.

"Not until I get a fucking answer." _Slam_.

"Cato!"

"Not until I get an answer!" _Slam_. It wasn't enough to kill him, but it was enough to bring a lot of pain and send him a message.

Marvel finally seemed to have had enough. "I hear you, Cato. I understand," he strained to get out, Cato's hand still around his throat. Cato let go of his throat and proceeded to punch him a couple of times.

"Cato, stop this! He's had enough!" I continued to pull at his arms. He finally got off of Marvel, sliding me off in the process, and grabbed me by the arm, dragging me toward the elevator. I looked back to see Glimmer helping Marvel off the floor before the elevator's doors closed. Cato was leaning against the railing on the back of the elevator. It still wasn't moving, as we had yet to pick a floor. My eyes landed on his bloody hand and I pressed the button for his district's apartment. The doors opened quickly and I led Cato down the hall of his apartment. I asked where his room was and he pointed to a door on our right. His chest was heaving, still trying to calm himself down.

I opened the door and led him inside, sitting him on the bed. His breathing was still coming out a little heavy. I left him and walked into the bathroom, grabbing a washcloth and wetting it. I walked back in and stood in front of him.

"Give me your hand," I commanded.

He glared up at me. "I'm not a baby."

I glared right back. "This is not a negotiation. Give me your hand."

He rolled his eyes and reluctantly held up his right hand. I took it and started dabbing the blood away. "Do you want to tell me what the fuck that was all about?" He looked at me and then off somewhere in one of the corners. "I could start guessing, if you'd like."

He looked back up at me. "I don't care how much you run your mouth; I wouldn't punch you for it. Scaring you on the train was one thing, but when I saw the bruises on your arm and knew that I did that…" He still wasn't making a lot of sense, and I guess it showed in my face because he sighed, his eyebrows furrowing in thought. "I may be trained to kill in the arena—that's a whole other matter entirely—but hitting a girl isn't something we do back home. That's what cowards do who can't handle a woman who can handle herself."

"You're exactly right. I _can_ handle myself." I was surprised at his confession. I hadn't expected such a chivalrous answer from such a typically brutal person. I realized why I had seen the sadness in his eyes when he saw my bruises or I mentioned them had been mixed with disappointment. Sure he hadn't hit me, but he'd injured me. I continued to clean the wound he'd given himself. "But, thank you, I guess. You could get in serious trouble for attacking him outside of the Games. You didn't have to defend my honor or anything."

"My father would have my ass if he thought I let someone get away with that, so don't think too much about it, Four."

I backed away from him a bit, but still continued to clean his wound. "Why do you do that? Why do you turn into such a jerk when things get a little too sincere for you? What happens to the carefree, funny Cato that can joke around that was at the tribute parade and up on the roof a few minutes ago? Where does he go? I get that all you've ever really known is violence, hostility, and training to win the Games, but why can't the other Cato come out more often?"

He sat there as I finished cleaning his hand. A heavy sigh came out before his answer did. "Because that Cato can't win the Games, and that's what I have to do. I have to win! There's no other choice." As he was speaking, I noticed he had a few drops of blood on his face. They must have flown up from the force of the punches. I put his hand down and moved closer to him. I started dabbing the spots off of his face. He looked confused. "What are you doing?"

"I'm cooking," I said sarcastically, giving him a look. "What does it look like I'm doing? You've got blood on your face." I continued to dab the little dots of blood. I wiped the last one away. "There. They're all gone."

I started to back away, but Cato grabbed my wrists. He pulled me to him, and I landed on his lap. I looked at him questioningly. His eyes were on my injured cheek, as he pushed my hair from my face. He was being so _gentle_, which surprised me greatly. He must've noticed my look because he chuckled. "I'm not always so vicious." His face suddenly got serious. "No one is to know about his conversation. Understand?" I nodded. Of course. He had a reputation to keep up. I looked into his eyes and found that I couldn't look away. A smirk came to his face, but it wasn't his usual smirk. The one on his face now, I couldn't read. "Thank you for cleaning my hand." I was surprised that his voice had come out in a whisper.

"Not a problem," I replied in the same manner. It was then that I realized how close we were. Our blue eyes were still locked together. His handsome face was looking me up and down, with a hunger showing in it. Not the hunger I had seen on the train, where I was almost certain he'd wanted to kill me, but a hunger that could only be described as a beautiful lust.

Then, all of a sudden, Cato pulled my face to his, and his lips were on mine. I was shocked at first, trying to push him away. Then, I realized how _amazing_ it felt. The feelings that came rushing over me reminded me of the tide coming up farther and farther up the shore, crashing into the sand. As soon as it hit me, my arms slipped around his neck and he pulled my legs on either side of his lap, trying to get us closer. One of his arms wrapped tightly around my waist, the other playing with my hair. _What am I doing? I need to stop this… I need to, but I really don't want to. He's a fantastic kisser. I don't know why we haven't been doing this since we met._ The arm around my waist slid back around and he placed his hand on my hip. Though the bruise had disappeared from the skin, it wasn't gone. He squeezed it, causing me to gasp. He took advantage of this, deepening our kiss, his tongue battling mine. It wasn't much of a battle. He easily dominated the kiss, and I let him, having no qualms about him taking control of the situation.

The next thing I knew, I was flipped over onto the bed and Cato's mouth had moved down to my neck. I couldn't stop the noise that escaped my throat. It only seemed to egg him on. The feeling was still amazing, and I was trying to gather up all the oxygen I'd lost. Only when I got oxygen back to my brain did I realize what was happening. I had to use all my strength to pull his face away from my neck. He looked at me with a lust hazed gaze and gave me a confusing look. "What?"

I sighed, but continued to breathe heavily. "This is a bad idea, right? I mean, in less than a week, we'll be in the arena."

"Are we in the arena right now? No. We're in my room, on my bed, and I don't know about you, but I was enjoying myself before you stopped me."

He was breathing just as heavily as I was. As he continued to look at me, I knew I was enjoying this, too much, in fact. He looked at me expectantly, and I made a split-second decision. I pulled his face to mine and kissed him. It started out slow, and eventually, Cato was back in control.

I didn't go back to my room that night.

**CATO OC CATO OC CATO OC CATO OC CATO**

I am so happy with this chapter! I actually wrote it before chapters 4 and 5, not sure why. I hope you guys like it as much as I do! Chapter 7 will be up soon :) You'll find out what Cato and April did in the beginning of the next chapter.


	7. caught

**Thank you to all those who favorited this story, have put it on alert, or have reviewed it. The fact that anyone at all is reading this warms my heart. I created the first word document for this story on my computer on February 19, 2013, and it had been swirling around in my head and in my notebook for a few weeks prior to that. That's how long this story has been in the works. I never thought I would have the courage to post it, and now that it's out there and people are reading and enjoying it fills me with joy. So thank you, readers. You make me very happy. Have some more April and Cato banter!**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, Suzanne Collins owns the Hunger Games and everything involved with it, but I own my characters. So, don't steal them. Please? Thank you.**

_And when the daylight comes I'll have to go  
But tonight I'm gonna hold you so close  
Cause in the daylight we'll be on our own  
But tonight I need to hold you so close_

**Chapter 7: Caught**

Warmth surrounded me as I felt the first edges of sleep begin to fall away from me. The warmth begged me to stay under, but there was something else pushing for my body to wake up. Snuggling deeper into the blankets that were wrapped around me, I realized that one of the blankets was stiff and draped over my waist. Rolling over, I tried to figure out what was wrong with the blanket and came smack into something harder. There was a pull around my waist, bringing me closer to the solid mass beside me. I tried to wiggle myself out of whatever it was, but it just tightened around me, holding me in place.

Someone was suddenly speaking, startling me for a moment before I realized it was Cato. "Would you stop moving, April? I'm trying to sleep," he mumbled into my hair.

I immediately stiffened. All of the memories from last night rushed back quickly. Though I'd stopped things before they had gotten too far, Cato and I had let our teenage hormones take over for a while. Opening my eyes, I was met with Cato's toned chest, sunlight just filtering in through the windows and casting a faint orange glow over us. I glanced down and saw that his arm was wrapped tightly around my waist, holding me in place, with no intention of letting me go.

I put my hands on his chest to try to push myself away and give myself room. "Cato, it was not my intention to stay here the entire night." I looked over him and saw that it was a little after five in the morning. The sun was coming up, and if I didn't leave, I was going to get caught sneaking back into my room. Cato pushed me back down on the bed before pulling me back to his chest. "I need to get back to my floor so no one freaks out."

He groaned, still keeping his eyes closed. "I don't think you understand just _how_ comfortable I am right now, and if you don't go back to sleep, you might just regret it."

I tried to push away again, but he wasn't having any of it. "Cato, please let me get up. I don't want to get an earful from Merrick."

He scoffed. "Your brother can get his panties out of a wad." He opened his eyes to look at me, a smirk splayed across his face. "And you can get your panties out of a wad as well," he said, his hand drifting from my waist and over my underwear clad ass.

I was suddenly very embarrassed by what had happened and jumped back, successfully getting out of his grip. I gathered up my shorts, hastily pulling them up my legs. "If anyone asks, this never happened. Got it?"

Cato rolled his eyes, sitting up in bed and rubbing the sleep from them. "Are you gonna make me pinky swear?" He asked in a mimicking voice, and I retaliated by sticking my tongue out at him.

I started to look around the room for my shoes, frantically searching for any sign of them in the room. In the corners, behind furniture, even the blankets that covered Cato's bed, but I couldn't find them anywhere. I had just bent down to look under the bed when I realized that I'd left them in my room before even going up to the roof to relax. "Well," I said, standing up, dusting my shorts off, "last night was fun, but it probably shouldn't happen again."

"Probably? We didn't even get to the fun part last night," Cato countered as I continued toward his door. At least he was staying on the bed and not trying to pull me back into it.

"You tongue was practically down my throat for three hours. Among other places." _Expertly_, I added in my head. God, kissing him had been like coming up for fresh air in the sea of Hunger Games madness that was trying to drown me. "It was fun."

Cato reclined back against the pillows on his bed, raising his arms above his head and locking his fingers together behind it. "You'll come back for more," he said, his voice sure.

I smirked, unable to resist the banter we could get going between us, even though I really needed to leave. "In your dreams," I said, opening his bedroom door, but not making the move to leave just yet. Despite my attempt to tell myself otherwise, there was an attraction between us. There was no denying it. That didn't mean it was a good thing, but it didn't stop us from this, from flirting with each other at inopportune times.

The smile, the one that I had seen from the night before, crept up his lips. I wanted to see that smile more often. "Every night." His eyebrow cocked up as he winked.

I rolled my eyes playfully, but secretly reveled in the idea of being in his thoughts that often, even in his subconscious. "Goodbye, Cato. I'll see you in training." Backing out of the room, I grabbed the knob and pulled the door shut quietly.

Moving slowly through the apartment, I kept quiet as I listened for anyone that might be awake, but the only sound was the distant sound of running water, presumably from a shower, coming from Cato's room as I moved away from it. All the lights in the open area of the apartment were still off, so I concluded that I was in the clear. My feet moved quickly across the floor until I was out the door and in the elevator. _One down, one to go._

It had always amused me how when someone tried to be quiet, every noise they made seemed amplified, until I was the one trying to be quiet. The click of the door to the apartment shutting seemed to echo through the rooms, and I cringed at the thought of someone hearing. The speech that Merrick would likely give if he were to catch me was already playing in my head, his voice stern and upset. The last thing I wanted to do was disappoint my brother, especially if it was something that could cost me the Games. I had one foot in the living area when I heard a cough, my back stiffening immediately.

"How did dipping your feet go?" Xerxes asked, and relief consumed my entire being as I turned toward his voice.

There was no point in lying to him; he wasn't my brother. Though, I didn't know how he would react to the situation. Going in blind was worse than expecting a rant from Merrick. "Swimmingly," I said, a sheepish half smile, half cringe moving over my face as I walked toward him. I wasn't going to get to my room before talking to him. "Does Merrick know I didn't come back?"

Xerxes shook his head, moving over on the couch and patting the cushion, silently asking for me to sit with him. I obliged. "He retired to bed shortly after you left. Do I need to ask what kept you? It wasn't something terrible, was it?"

"Define _terrible_." Regret washed over me as soon as the words left my lips; it made what happened the previous night sound worse than it had been. The thought of explaining where I had been all night wasn't something I had been looking forward to doing with anyone, hoping desperately that I could have made it through without getting caught. Lifting my hand, I scratched the back of my head awkwardly. "It really wasn't terrible. It was probably stupid, though."

"And why would anything you do be stupid?" Xerxes asked. The stark contrast in his reaction to how my brother would have was refreshing. It was nice to have someone look at my decisions as my own, even if they were considered questionable.

I took a deep breath, preparing myself for any time of scolding I might receive, even if Xerxes was kinder when it came to my choices than Merrick was. "I spent the night with the boy from District Two. Cato," I said, looking up at him, surprised there was no shame in my voice. Before I even realized it, there was a smile tugging at my lips.

Xerxes seemed to study me for a moment before humming in affirmation. "The boy you were flirting with at the Parade," he said easily, sitting up a little straighter. "And do you feel something for this boy?"

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the direction our talk was taking. It felt like one of the nights I would stay over at Nixie's house and gossip about what boy she thought might be cute. My heart squeezed in my chest at the thought, but I quickly pushed it away. It wasn't the time for reminiscing. "I don't really _know_ how I feel about him, other than the fact that he can be infuriatingly arrogant sometimes," I said. My mind drifted to the times that I had been allowed to see past the brutality. Cato's smile was an infectious one. "But there is this pull that I feel toward him that I can't explain." It was a pull that nagged at me any time we were around each other, and I wasn't sure what to do about it, or even if I should do anything about it. "Which doesn't really matter. If I want to go home, he has to die in the next couple of weeks."

"Despite your situation, it does matter what you feel about this boy. You're worried getting attached to this boy will ruin your chances at winning," he said, as if he were reading my mind. It wasn't a good thing that I seemed so transparent to everyone. "You're worried that he'll distract you. More importantly, you're worried getting attached will make it harder to kill him."

"If I even have to be the one to do that," I supplied, trying to convince myself that it wouldn't come to that, but I wasn't so sure. Cato was one of the strongest tributes to be Reaped, and it would take something extraordinary to take him down before the final four. "But you're right."

"I think you underestimate your instinct to do anything to live over anything else." Xerxes words were comforting, and I was glad that he seemed to know exactly what I needed. "You might be surprised with how things turn out. Just don't overthink it. You have more things to worry about. Like _training_, which you need to be getting ready for," he added, glancing at his watch.

I stood up from the couch, pushing out a sigh of relief as I looked down at Xerxes. His talk had helped some, but it didn't stop what I had with Cato from looming over my head. "Thanks, Xerxes," I said with a small smile. I opened my mouth to speak again before he held up his hand.

"We'll keep your little outing last night between us," he supplied with a knowing grin. "There's no need to make your brother even more stressed than he already is."

Nodding quickly, I gave him a thank you before making my way down the hall to my room. I couldn't let the connection I shared with Cato bother me or get to me any longer. My sole focus was on my training, even though I would likely be spending part of it with him and the other Careers, just to see if the alliance could work. Stepping into the shower, I washed away all worries about the previous night, deciding I would look at it like a brand new day.

* * *

The knife flew from my hand, sticking right into the center of the target. I couldn't help but smile at myself as I threw the next knife, hitting the next target square in the chest again. There were a few times where my aim would be slightly off but still hitting close enough to the target that I was pleased with the throw. It was so much better than how I had been throwing in training the day before. It felt like each throw was getting easier, and I was thankful for Cato's help in remembering my training.

We hadn't spoken to each other, but Cato had given me a small nod before we were all dismissed to whatever station we felt like working at. I had yet to decide if I wanted to join the rest of the Careers, but if I wanted to make it to the end of the Games and have a chance at winning, it seemed like the best option. Each one of them was a force to be reckoned with, and using them like my brother used the Career pack in his Games would keep me alive long enough before I got to them too.

After another throw, the trainer at the station told me that I should move on to a different station. Weapons weren't the only important thing, as Atala had said the first day, so I found the empty plant identification station and began to look through what plants were poisonous and which were safe to eat. I was already efficient with water plants that I might find in the arena, but I needed to be confident in identifying all of them. The list of plants was long but skipping over water plants shortened it a bit. By the time I had read through the list once, I heard someone walk up behind me.

"Why are you wasting your time over here?" Cato asked, stepping up next to me. I wondered how long it would take him to talk to me.

I smiled to myself as I walked over to the touch screen, selecting plants that I thought were edible. "You won't be saying that when I stop you from eating something dangerous."

Cato leaned against the table and turned toward me, crossing his arms over his chest. "Does that mean you're joining our alliance?" He seemed genuinely happy to hear that, and it made me think of my talk with Xerxes. I needed to focus on myself and not whatever pull I felt toward Cato.

"I'm thinking about it. There's still the fact that half of your alliance doesn't like me," I said, nodding over my shoulder without stopping the movement of my hands over the pictures of the plants. I didn't need to look to know that if Cato was standing next to me, the other three tributes were watching the exchange.

"Half?" He asked, and I wondered how he could be oblivious to Glimmer's icy stare.

"Do I need to spell it out for you? Glimmer doesn't like the fact that you pay more attention to me than you do to her," I said, looking up at him with a quirk of my eyebrow. I pressed the button of a plant I thought was safe to eat, but it flashed red before disappearing. Cursing myself, I tried to pay more attention to the screen than the boy next to me. "I thought it was obvious."

"And I thought I was making it obvious to her that I have no interest in her," Cato countered.

"Which is exactly why she doesn't like me," I said with a shake of my head. The screen flashed white when I had finished identifying all of the safe plants, and besides the one mistake, I had managed to do pretty well. Half the plants on the screen had been found in water anyway. When nothing came back up, I turned to Cato, mirroring his stance when my arms over my chest. "You obviously don't know much about girls."

"I know enough about them to know how much I affect you," Cato said, taking a step closer into my personal space. I couldn't exactly deny that he affected me. After our talk that morning, it seemed we both understood that there was something between us. It was just hard to know how to go about it when we were in a life and death situation. "If I were to suddenly start flirting with her, would you get jealous?"

The idea of Cato flirting with Glimmer sent a small pang of jealous through me, one that I had no right to feel. Just because there was something I saw in him and, from what I had gathered from our interactions, he in me didn't mean there was anything substantial to it. He could flirt with who he wanted to. I hoped I masked my face enough for both of us to believe that I didn't care. "I'm not the jealous type," I said with a shrug.

Cato looked me up and down, studying me for a few moments. It was absolutely unnerving that someone I had just met could see right through my disguise. The small quirk of his lips told me that my ruse hadn't worked. "I didn't think you were," he said, going along with it. "I'll see you at lunch."

"I never said I was eating with you guys," I said, just as I turned away. I was going to study over the plants once more before lunch, and then I would find something else to focus on afterward.

"Hey, where's my knife?" Cato asked loudly, and at first, I thought he was asking me, but when I turned back, he was confronting the boy from District Six.

He held up his hands to show that he indeed didn't have anything. "I didn't touch your knife," he said defensively.

I could already see Cato getting angry and knew it wasn't going to end well. Moving quickly away from the plant station, I walked as quickly as I could across the gym just as Cato pushed the kid in the chest, accusing him again of stealing the knife he was using. _His temper is worse than mine. _I was in front of Cato in a second, pushing him away from the boy. Cato could have torn him to bits if he wanted to. "Stop," I yelled at Cato, motioning for the other boy to get away. "Save it."

"I'll finish you right now, kid," Cato growled quietly, trying to push past me, but I kept moving with him.

"Cato, stop!" I yelled again, finally getting his attention. The guards were more than ready to step in if I couldn't control him, and he was starting to cause scene. Looking so unstable in front of the Gamemakers was not a good move. "Not here."

"Right." He took a couple of deep breaths, looking down at me before looking back to the boy behind me. I deserved a gift basket from District Six after saving their tribute. "I'll wait for the arena," he said to the boy. "You're the first one I get, so watch your back."

"Let's break for lunch!" Atala yelled to all of us, and that was probably the best idea for everyone. It would give everyone time to calm down before getting back into training.

I parted from Cato, not saying another word to him as I walked into the cafeteria to get my food. When I turned back to the room, Marvel and Glimmer were both glaring at me as Cato and Clove talked amongst themselves. It was easy to see that I still wasn't welcome there. Spotting Katniss and Peeta at another table, I walked over to them, hoping that I had made a good enough impression the day before.

"Can I sit with you guys again?" I asked, with a polite smile. "Unless I'm intruding."

"Not at all," Katniss said, moving over to make room for me. I hated to say that I was really beginning to like the two of them. It just made things that much harder.

Katniss was talking about a time she was chased by a bear when Peeta looked over at me. "What happened to your face?" He asked.

I had almost completely forgotten about the cut on my face from Marvel's punch the previous day. The medicine Xerxes had given me had made it completely painless. "I cut myself shaving," I joked, deciding I didn't need to advertise my rivalry with the District One tributes.

Katniss and Peeta mostly regaled me with stories from their district; I hadn't heard much about District Twelve other than it was mostly known for exporting coal to the other districts. The forest was as much Katniss's home as the ocean was to me, and I could tell that she missed it. When they asked me if I knew my district partner very well, I looked up to see Crest sitting at a table with the tributes from District Three, which wasn't surprising since he spent his time with them on the train as we watched the other districts get reaped. It seemed our act of pretend to be indifferent to each other was working, so I lied and told them that the day of the Reaping was the first day that we had met.

Getting to know them more and more was making the Hunger Games that much worse of an experience. Neither of them deserved to die. But I knew that if I couldn't be in an alliance with the Careers, Katniss and Peeta were my back up plan. Reading people was something I considered myself proficient in, and they both seemed trustworthy enough. I wouldn't be constantly worried about them stabbing me in the back like I would with Marvel and Glimmer.

After lunch, there weren't any incidents between Cato or any of the other tributes. I decided to take a chance in the sparring ring with a Capitol trainer. Growing up with two brothers, we would wrestle each other from time to time, but it was nothing like actual fighting. Most of the time, she had me on my ass in seconds, but I learned a lot from her techniques. I would at least be able to hold my own against someone my own size.

A few hours after lunch, we were dismissed. With one day left of training before our individual scoring sessions, I knew it was time to reign in my focus. I needed to be remembered.

**CATO OC CATO OC CATO OC CATO OC CATO**

Thank you guys so much for reading and your continued support. I really can't stress enough that if you take the time to read the story, please take just an extra minute to review. I am writing this story for my own enjoyment, but it would be nice to know if you're enjoying it or if there was something I could do better. The next chapter won't be out for a couple of days because I have to work a full twelve hour shift tomorrow. Expect it on Tuesday! Again, thank you!


	8. the career alliance

**Thank you to all those who favorited this story, have put it on alert, or have reviewed it. I'm so sorry this is late! I started a second job on top of my first one, but I'll do my best to stock pile chapters so I can post them pretty quickly. I can't tell you how much I love this story, and the fact that anyone at all is reading it warms my heart. It's the last day of training, so I hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, Suzanne Collins owns the Hunger Games and everything involved with it, but I own my characters. So, don't steal them. Please? Thank you.**

_She sees them walking in a straight line  
That's not really her style  
And they all got the same heartbeat  
But hers is falling behind  
Nothing in this world could  
Ever bring them down  
Yeah, they're invincible  
And she's just in the background_

**Chapter 8: The Career Alliance**

Dinner was going surprisingly smooth after the second day of training. It helped that I hadn't gotten myself in trouble during the day and had stopped Cato from getting in a fight. The only comment Merrick had made was that he wished I could apply that logic to my own actions. My brother was still none the wiser about the fact that I had stayed the night in that district's apartment with that very tribute. It was hard to tell just how oblivious Merrick was to whatever was going on with Cato and me. I assumed that since he hadn't said anything, I was still in the free and clear.

"Since tomorrow is your last day of training, you can go ahead and show your abilities in your best weapon," Merrick said as we ate our dinner. I was caught off guard by the statement, thinking that we would only be allowed to show off for our individual sessions. "You've learned some things in other stations, which is what you needed. Now, you need to show off what you can do. Intimidate your competitors."

The thought of finally showing off what I could do brought a smile to my lips. Even with my stunt of pinning Cato against the wall on the first day, it would be nice to show everyone exactly what I could do when I had a trident in my hands. I wouldn't want to run up against me with one in the arena. We would be completing the obstacle courses as well, which meant I could show off my speed. "No holding back?" I asked, wanting make sure.

"Just don't go throwing your trident at anymore tributes," Merrick said with no small amount of sass in his voice. I was glad to hear him joking about it. It just meant that he was no longer mad or upset about it, which had to mean something was coming from it. "Save the _best_ stuff for the Gamemakers but feel free to let loose tomorrow and show the other tributes what you can do."

What I would be doing for the Gamemakers was still something I was thinking on, only knowing that it needed to be grand and memorable. I needed to stick out of I was going to get a high enough score to bring in sponsors. The whole process of the Games made my head spin, and if I did one thing wrong, I could say goodbye to my chance at winning. Intimidating my competitors was my first step.

"If it's fine with you, Merrick, I'm still going to keep my head low," Crest said, wiping his mouth with his napkin. "It might be better for me to not be seen as a threat. Then they won't think to come after me first, and I can keep an eye on April for as long as possible."

Merrick just nodded, and it wasn't hard to figure out why. Any time the subject that was constantly hanging over our heads came up in conversation, the air got thick with sympathy and worry. Both my brother and I worried that Crest would change his mind one day and fight for his life. It was a horrible feeling to have; there was no part of me that wanted Crest to die for me, but I also wanted to go home. That meant every person that I had met, every person that I had stupidly started to get close to, would have to die in order for that to happen.

We were all pulled from the silence when there was a knock at the apartment door. Part of me worried that Cato had come up, and as Merrick stood and excused himself from the table, I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. The last thing I needed was for my brother to find out there was something going on with me and another tribute, especially when I couldn't even figure out what that something was. The inexplicable pull between the two of us was almost magnetic, and no matter how much I told myself I needed to focus on the Games, when I was around Cato, that pull was almost a physical thing that couldn't be ignored.

I pretended to eat my food while my brother was away from the table, making an effort to disguise the fact that I was trying to listen to the conversation. The door was too far away from the dining room, but I caught little words on occasion. It definitely was not Cato's voice, which put me at ease, but the voice also sounded familiar; I just couldn't quite place it. If it wasn't Cato at the door, I wasn't going to worry, so I went back to actually eating and casually listening to the conversation between Cicero and Xerxes. I chuckled when the conversation took a turn as Xerxes started critiquing Cicero's outfit, causing the stuffy man to huff loudly.

Merrick cleared his throat when he returned, surprising me; I hadn't even heard the door close. "It seems you have made quite the impression, April. This just came from District Two's mentor," my brother said, holding up a piece of paper. It was unfolded, and with the lights shining above it from over the table, I could see handwritten script through it. Merrick looked down at the note, pulling it closer to his face to read it. "'On behalf of the alliance of District's One and Two, April Hylet is formally invited to train with them during tomorrow's session.'"

My mouth opened slightly in shock at the fact that there was even a note at all; I knew exactly whose idea it was to have something like that sent to our apartment. Cato was annoyed that I blew off training with them earlier and was going to drastic measures to get me to do it. Now that Merrick knew they really wanted me, I was sure he would encourage me, or even order me, to train with them. Thankfully, it still seemed that I was avoiding suspicion with my brother, as he seemed oblivious as to what was going on.

"Do you think I should do it?" I asked, regretting the question immediately. Since he thought I was already trying to get into their alliance, he would advise me to take the opportunity.

"You said so yourself, getting in with them might be a good option. It's what I did," Merrick said, taking his seat again. "Which we could use as an advantage. The tributes might think you're copying my strategy, but you won't be."

"I know District One has been studying your Games," I said, thinking of the night before when I tried to stop Cato from beating Marvel. The words slipped from my mouth before I could stop them, and I had to think of something quickly to cover my tracks. "After what I said to the boy from District One, I went to apologize to him, and the 65th Hunger Games was playing on their television."

"All the more reason for you to join them and take them off guard," Merrick said, and I let out a small sigh of relief that he didn't think something was off. "Manipulate them into thinking you're with them for now, and we'll keep Crest a secret like we planned."

The thought of manipulating and not being honest with Cato left me sick to my stomach, a feeling I was completely unfamiliar with. I didn't owe Cato anything and had only known him for less than a week, but that didn't stop whatever was going on between us from making me feel horrible. The only thing I could do was keep reminding myself that if I wanted to go home, no one else could, no matter how I felt about them. Worry must have shown on my face because Merrick walked behind me, leaning down to hug my shoulder.

"Don't worry, Apricot," he said, before taking his seat next to me. "When I was out earlier, your odds of winning were already at six-to-one. The Gamemakers already think pretty highly of you." That number actually made me feel pretty great. "Just show them what you're made of during your session. You'll get an amazing score and intimidate the others even more."

All I could do was nod, still uneasy over the whole aspect of the next two days. Training with the Careers was sure to be quite the experience, especially when it came to Marvel and Glimmer. It was just my luck that I would manage to piss off both tributes from a single district. It was easier to think about how they would react than having to spend the entire day with Cato. "I think I'm going to rest up for tomorrow," I said, wiping my mouth with my napkin before standing. I needed to be alone. "See you in the morning."

* * *

Morning came far too early for me, the thoughts from the previous night still weighing on my heart and lingering in my head. Everything that was happening was more overwhelming than I expected; then again, I hadn't expected to like any of the tributes. Katniss and Peeta both seemed like such good people, and whatever I felt for Cato had come at me out of left field. There were also the younger tributes, too many of them for me to handle. Twenty three lives leaving the world were already too many, but the fact that at least a sixth of them were under fourteen made my heart physically ache.

There was a pounding on my door, signaling that I had stayed in the solace of my room for too long. Every day that passed made it harder to want to leave. It meant I was one day closer to starting the Games, one day closer to the chance of dying before my time. If I wanted to make it out, though, I needed to keep my head on straight and not let anyone get any more in my head than they already were. No matter what happened while I was in that arena, I needed to get home.

After I cleaned myself up and dressed for training, I hurried through breakfast, grunting my acknowledgement at anything Merrick said. It was hard to listen when I was trying to steel myself for a day with Cato and the others. Although, Merrick wasn't satisfied until I verbally confirmed that I would be training with them today. I knew he meant well and wanted me to succeed as much as I did, maybe even more, but I didn't realize how hard it would be to have my brother train me for a battle to the death.

"Are you okay?" Crest asked me when we got into the elevator. "You're awfully quiet this morning."

"I didn't sleep well last night," I said, and it wasn't a complete lie. I had woken up every couple of hours feeling uncomfortable and anxious. I was glad it would be the last day of training. "I think I'm just getting more and more worried as we go."

"If there's one person who doesn't need to be worried, it's you," Crest replied, lifting his arm to give my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. The doors opened, and he quickly dropped it. "You're going to be fine. Knock 'em dead."

We were some of the first tributes to arrive that morning, and the few that were there were loitering around a few of the stations. I parted with Crest when I found Cato, picking up each sword from the station and testing their weight in his hands, trying to find the best fit for him. I had yet to try my hand at the sword station, mostly because I doubted I would be much use with one, working better with longer distance weapons.

"You sent an invitation to my apartment?" I asked as I stepped up next to him, picking up one of the swords he had set aside. It wasn't as heavy as I thought it might be but didn't feel quite right in my hand.

"How else was I supposed to get you to train with us?" He asked, twirling the sword that he was holding.

I put the sword down, leaning against the wall next to them. "I told you that I was thinking about it."

"And yet you refused to train with us." He was still looking at the swords, picking them up and staring down the blade before choosing another and repeating the process. It was rather irritating that it seemed he was only half paying attention, something I was sure he was doing on purpose.

"Just because I didn't want to train with you doesn't mean that I wasn't going to be with you guys. All of you are about the weapons." I took the sword that was in his hands, placing it on the table and forcing him to look at me. "What happens if you eat something in the arena that kills you or severely disables you to the point where you're just a sitting duck?" The fact that that was a legitimate concern of mine was another worry all its own. The more I was around Cato, the harder it was to imagine him dying.

He couldn't hide the shock on his face when he heard the distress in my voice. He seemed just as surprised as I was that I was worried for his wellbeing. "Then, what's with you hanging with the two from Twelve?"

"Because they're actually bearable in large doses, unlike some in your alliance," I said, nodding over his shoulder as Marvel and Glimmer walked in. They looked less than happy to see me speaking with Cato, and I could only imagine what the rest of the day would be like. I was thankful that Clove didn't seem annoyed with my presence. She had laughed along with the others, but after Cato's change of heart, she seemed to follow his lead. "Just don't expect me to be too happy about this today."

"I could make it a little more fun for you," Cato said, taking that all too familiar step into my personal space. It seemed to become one of his favorite hobbies quickly.

"And how would you do that?" I asked, looking up at him, not backing down from whatever challenge was sure to come.

Reaching up, Cato tucked an errant hair behind my ear and out of my face. I could feel my face heat up at his touch and knew that was the exact reaction he was looking for. "Let's have a friendly little bet," he said, dropping his hand. "When we do the obstacle course, regardless of whether or not one of us comes in first, the slower person will owe the faster something."

The bet seemed simple enough, but as I mulled over his words, there could be so much that could come from it if the winner played their cards right. "Sure. On one condition," I finally said. "The winner has to collect _before_ we go into the arena." I was sure it wasn't ideal for him, but if I were to lose, I wouldn't want to owe him anything in the arena.

"That's fine," he agreed, and he didn't seem as annoyed as I thought he would be. Even though he had said it was just a friendly bet, I knew Cato enough to know how competitive he was. He held out his hand to make it official, and I just smirked up at him. "Are you kidding me?"

"You really should know better," I said, trying not to laugh as I held out my hand. "It's really not official unless it's a pinky swear, but I'll let it slide this time. We are in front of a lot more people this time." He slid his hand easily into mind and shook it. There was that warm feeling again, and I wondered if he felt it, too."

As the last of the tributes filed in, Atala called us over, informing us that we would be doing the obstacle course over the course of the morning. It would take up a lot of our time, as no one ever knew how fast or slow the tributes would be, so it was better for us to have a later lunch than for training to run later into the day. We started lining up, in order of districts with the girls in front of their district's male tributes. As I made my way to the front, Glimmer knocked me in the shoulder as she walked past me, knocking me off balance and almost sending me to the floor. I regained my footing before I fell, looking up at Cato and giving him a knowing, annoyed look. There was no way Glimmer and I were going to mesh well in an alliance together.

She started off first, taking off as soon as the whistle was blown for her. The obstacle course was around the edge of the gym, going up and over the door for the elevators before going back down to the floor. At first, Glimmer was making quick work of it, but when she got to the area of raised platforms, some of the trainers were there with combat bats, swiping at her legs. One made contact, sending her falling to the ground, but she was up as quickly as she fell, going back through the course. Her feet hit the finishing platform, and as she walked back over, Atala announced her time of five minutes and twenty three seconds. I knew I could at least beat that.

Cato's time was faster than Glimmer's by over a minute. His upper body strength worked in his favor, and despite his large muscular build, he was quick on his feet. None of the trainers were able to hit him as he moved across the raised platform, and he landed on the finishing spot easily. Despite his fast time of four minutes and twelve seconds, I knew if I wanted it badly enough and focused solely on my run, I could beat him.

The District Three tributes were slower than Glimmer, but it felt faster than that because suddenly, it was my turn at the course. I took a deep breath just before the whistle was blown and took off. The first obstacle was to climb up a ramp that led to a set of monkey bars that dipped in the middle, designed to wear out the upper body before getting to the rest of the course. I was able to keep myself from falling and make it across with ease. The climb over the door to the elevator was the hardest, the cargo netting wobbly and hard to keep my hold on. Once I was at the top, the climb down was much easier. It wasn't until I was to the raised platforms that I was really worried. Watching the others time through the course did me no good, because for each run, the trainers got into new hiding places to try and knock the tributes down. The only time one of them got close to knocking me over was at the end, his bat barely missing my foot.

I landed on the finishing mat with a loud thud, my breathing heavy. As I waited for Atala to announce my time, I looked over at Cato, who was smiling like he had already one. Four minutes and twelve minutes was a fast time, but I had felt really good about my run. As it was, I was already a fast person. My run had been seamless, none of the trainers able to even get a hit on me, and I'd kept my footing the whole way. I hadn't been too worried about owing something to Cato outside of the arena, but he was celebrating prematurely, I just wanted to wipe the smile off of his face.

"April Hylet, District Four, four minutes and five seconds," Atala announced.

The smile immediately dropped from his face, and I felt proud of myself. Even if my time didn't hold up against the other tributes, I had still beaten Cato and that was a victory all its own. He had gone into the bet thinking that he would get something out of it, never expecting me to pull out with the speed that I had. My fast time and victory over Cato also lent itself to helping me intimidate the other tributes. If I could beat the big brute, I could beat every single one of them.

Once it was time for the District Five tributes to go, I walked over to the four tributes that would be part of my alliance. Clove seemed almost glad that I would be joining them, seemingly proving my place with them with my run through the course. Marvel and Glimmer were almost seething, hatred rolling off of them in waves. They were easy to ignore when my eyes landed on Cato, whose face was a mixture of frustration and approval. I took my place next to him, looking on as the rest of the tributes started their turns through the obstacles.

Leaning over a bit, I looked up at him with a smile. "I'll let you know when I'm ready to collect that reward," I said quietly, not wanting the others to hear.

"Be careful what you ask for," Cato said, his tone almost teasing. It was always nice to see that side of him.

We were dismissed for lunch after Peeta had completed his turn through the course, finishing with an even five minutes. Eating with Cato and the others was a difference experience than eating with Katniss and Peeta. For the first half of our meal, they talked about who wouldn't survive the Bloodbath, pointing out the frailer tributes and making comments about how they were weak. It was even more apparent that I didn't belong with them when I had nothing to contribute to the conversation. I looked up at Cato and wondered how the guy that I could flirt and joke around with could also be the one making fun of District Five's younger tributes.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you say you two know each other?" Glimmer asked. Her question caught me off guard, but I remembered Cato's story that he had told her on the train.

I took a deep breath as I nodded before taking a bite of my bread. "Our fathers were allowed to trade from time to time. Tools for fish. Fish for tools." I had heard that much from Caesar and Claudius talking on the television. After Cato's father had won his Games, he had used what more money the Capitol had given him to buy many of the forges around District Two. Even though my father got his tools when they were brought by Capitol officials themselves, Glimmer didn't need to know that. "We haven't seen each other in a few years, though."

"You were still in the academy in Four the last time I saw you," Cato supplied, popping a piece of fruit into his mouth. I was honestly surprised at how valid his story could sound to people that didn't know us. Looking at Cato, it was hard to imagine that the bloody, violent killing machine could also have a brain. It was a refreshing surprise.

I had never been so thankful for a meal to be over. Back in the gym, the first thing I went to was the trident sitting on the rack with the spears. As soon as it was in my hands, I sighed, the weight of it comfortable in my grip. It was time to show the tributes what I was really made of and that if they wanted to come at me in the Games, I would be ready. I thought about just hacking at a bunch of dummies, but that could only get my point across so much. Having already done some hand to hand combat, I waited in line at the sparing mat, watching as a couple of others went first. The District Three male was there with a spear, trying his hand at it while the District Eight female had no weapon. I knew I was supposed to be training with the other four, but I needed a break after lunch.

When it came time for my turn, I stepped into the ring, trident ready in both hands. The trainer didn't bother warning me after picking up his bat before coming at me. I blocked his attack easily, pushing him back, my full weight behind the trident. We danced around each other, attacking and blocking as I studied his from. He left his legs exposed when I attacked from above and if I could get him on his back, that would be it. His next few attacks were blocked just as they had always been, and I could see that eyes were starting to land on us, which was exactly what I wanted. I dodged his last attack before bringing my trident up over him. He blocked it just as I thought he would, and I used my weight to push forward, getting close enough to sweep his feet out from under him and hold the prongs of my trident to his chest.

When I looked up, almost everyone was looking at the sparring ring, and I couldn't help but feel accomplished. There was fear in the eyes staring at me.

**CATO OC CATO OC CATO OC CATO OC CATO**

I should also make mention that this chapter was completely unplanned because I forgot that they had three days of training instead of two haha! So I'll be going back to all my planned chapters after this, and hopefully they'll be better than this impromptu one! Also, it seems like Hadley is the widely adopted last name of Cato, but I haven't decided if I'm going to keep it or not. Thoughts? Thank you guys so much for reading! :)


	9. make your mark

**Thank you to all those who have favorited this story, put it on alert and reviewed it. It's time for the individual scoring, and I really hope what April does comes off as badass in words as it looks in my head. I personally think it's pretty legit, but I'm a little biased. And if anyone is wondering, this story has twenty eight planned chapters to it. It could end up with more, but I'm pretty sure I have the whole thing plotted out.**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, Suzanne Collins owns the Hunger Games and everything involved with it, but I own my characters. So, don't steal them. Please? Thank you.**

_Cause I know I, I was born to be this way  
Every day I try and I'll do everything that it takes  
To become the one I've always wanted to be  
Watch right now and you will see  
The champion in me_

**Chapter 9: Make Your Mark**

"April Hylet! Your brother has given me permission to come in there and drag you out of bed myself if you're not out here in ten minutes," Cicero called through my door, his heavy footsteps fading as he walked down the hall.

I had thought that with no training I would be able to sleep in, but it seemed my escort and brother had different plans. My eyes slowly fluttered open as I adjusted to the sunlight filtering through the larger window, just peaking over the large buildings outside the apartments. It was later than my usual wake up call, but I wanted to lie in bed a little longer. It wouldn't be much longer before I couldn't sleep in at all.

"Might as well get it over with," I mumbled under my breath as I pulled myself out of bed. The floor was cold against my feet, sending a chill all the way through me, but it made me feel a bit more alert and awake. I just needed one more boost. Moving to the bathroom, I washed my face quickly before splashing it with cold water. The tingle of the wash with the water was quite refreshing.

There was no point in putting on my training uniform just yet; one look at my clock told me that our individual sessions with the Gamemakers were still three hours away from starting. I had been trying to think about what I wanted to show them since I had left the gym the previous day. Working with a trident was already unique enough; I just needed to make myself stand out with my skills.

I opened the door just as Cicero was starting back down the hall toward my door, and he gave me a stern look, telling me that I needed to hurry. Following him into the dining room, he actually pulled out a chair for me, which I promptly sat in. I looked over the table and started gathering food onto my plate. Merrick and Xerxes were talking in hushed tones at the other end of the table, but I didn't pay them much mind as I started to eat.

"Sleeping beauty finally joins us, I see," Merrick teased as he ended his conversation with my stylist. "I was beginning to wonder if you were going to join us or breakfast at all. I've got important things to go over."

I stabbed a biscuit particularly hard as I put it on my plate for me to butter. "I'm sorry if I'm moving a little slow this morning. I don't have many days to sleep in much longer." With him having gone through the Games before me, I thought he would understand that.

Xerxes rolled his eyes at our sibling antics, and Merrick waved his hand nonchalantly. "You can sleep when you're dead."

My fork clattered onto my plate, the shock of his words causing me to drop it. When I lifted my head, it was clear that he had realized what he said, but it didn't matter. The words had already made their cut. Part of me knew that he hadn't realized what he was saying, but another part of me felt like he really thought I would be dead soon. That was not a comforting feeling.

"I didn't mean it like that, Apricot," Merrick said slowly, swallowing thickly. His blue eyes that were usually as icy as mine softened, and the regret in the room was almost palpable. I stared at him for a few moments, reading the silent apology he was sending me as the others in the room looked on. There wasn't much anyone could say after something like that.

The silent void was filled after Crest cleared his throat, pulling us all out of the solemn situation we had fallen in to. "What was the important thing you needed to talk to us about?" He asked, getting us all back on track. We didn't need to linger on the fact that the Games could very well result in my death, no matter how much Merrick's words had hurt.

Merrick coughed, settling back into his seat and composing himself once more. He had to be a mentor more than a brother at the moment, something I was actually grateful for. It didn't seem like anyone was sure how he would handle training his sister for the Games, Caesar and Claudius making a big deal of it multiple times on the television, but Merrick was handling the situation better than anyone could have expected. He was a brother when he needed to be and mentor when he was supposed to be.

"Right," he said, looking between Crest and me. "After lunch time, I'll escort you down to the elevator that leads to the gym. Your individual training sessions will start then. They'll lead you all to the cafeteria and you'll sit there until you're called. It's in the order of the districts, so you'll go relatively early, which is good." It made sense to want to be one of the earlier tributes to be seen. By the time the Gamemakers got to District Twelve, they would probably think there wasn't much they hadn't seen. "They'll call you in one at a time, and you'll have ten minutes to show them what you can do. April, combine your speed and your skills with the trident, if you can. We want you to get a high enough score to attract sponsors should you need something in the arena." Merrick turned to Crest then. "Crest, make sure to tone yourself down on whatever weapon you choose to use. I want you to get a high enough score for sponsors, but not high enough to attract attention to yourself. If you're going to help April in the arena, you don't need a target sitting on your back."

"Won't a target be on my back if I get a high score?" I asked, feeling like the answer was obvious. A target wasn't something I needed with half of my alliance not being in my favor.

Merrick waved off the thought. "The first two districts already want you in their alliance, so you'll be fine until we get to a lower number of tributes." Part of me thought I should tell him about my problems with District One, but I knew he would start questioning our entire strategy. There was always the backup plan of teaming up with Katniss; I just wasn't sure if he would need convincing of it or not. "Depending on how fast things move once you're in the arena, you may want to break off from them earlier than I did. I'll leave it up to you to assess that situation once you're in it."

Xerxes reached over, taking my hand in his for a moment and squeezing it comfortingly. "I'm sure you have nothing to worry about, dear. We all know you're capable of doing this."

The gesture wasn't something I had realized I needed until I felt the weight of his hand over mine. The weight of what I was getting into was slowly pressing down on me as the hours passed. Focusing on all of the individual aspects had kept me from seeing the big picture. My mind was always on training or listening to what Merrick said I needed to do or drifting off to think about what I least needed to be thinking about: my connection with Cato. The big picture was that all of those things were coming together to determine where I would finish in the Games. I was pretty confident that I would survive the Bloodbath, but the score that the Gamemakers gave me would truly determine how far the Capitol wanted me to get in the arena.

The feeling was daunting enough to keep me quiet for the rest of our meal while Merrick explained how the rest of our days would go until it was time to enter the arena.

* * *

Crest and I sat on the bench that had been labeled with our district number. Looking over at him, I could tell that he was completely focused and knew exactly what he was going to do once he went in. I had tried to come up with what I wanted to show the judges while we had eaten our meal in the apartment, but all I drew was a blank. It was hard to pretend that Merrick's remark hadn't knocked me for a loop, and it was still getting to me. That wasn't something I could focus on. I had to have some kind of game plan before I showed myself off to the judges. That was easier said than done with Cato looking at me over his shoulder every couple of seconds.

The benches were set up in the room we had eaten in during training with the odd numbered benches in one row and the even numbered benches in a separate row. That placed the District Two bench only three feet in front of me. If I reached out with my feet, I could easily kick it. That thought passed through my head multiple times as Cato kept meeting my eyes. Having him so close to me wasn't doing anything to help me focus, and I could tell he knew what his affect was by the customary smirk on his face. I had that feeling deep within me once more that all I wanted to do was wipe it off. Despite the infuriation I felt toward him, there was that physical pull in the air that I was unable to deny. Part of me wanted to find out at some point if it was mutual. Even with the night we had spent together in his room, he was hard to read at times.

My heart sped up as the door keeping us in the room hissed open and Glimmer's name was called. The blonde stood up confidently and waltzed toward the opening, sending a smile over her shoulder with a flip of her hair as the door closed behind her. I had half been hoping the door would malfunction and close on her, but the Capitol was too careful with their tributes to let anything happen to them before putting them in the arena. All the bloodshed had to be caught on camera; we would all make it there unscathed.

There was a steady interval of fifteen minutes between each tribute, Marvel following his district partner and then Clove not long after. I assumed the extra five minutes that wasn't allotted to the tributes for their session was to clean up whatever mess they made.

"Have you decided what you're going to do?" I leaned over, asking Crest, trying to take my mind off of my turn coming up soon.

"Like I'm gonna tell you," Crest glared at me. His reply shocked me until I remembered where we were. With every tribute around us, we were still acting like we weren't in an alliance together.

Collecting myself, I rolled my eyes, looking toward the door that was closed. I wondered if Clove was doing well with her session. I was sure she was. "I was just seeing if I could trip you up."

Crest scoffed, sitting up straighter. "Hate to break it to you, sweet cheeks, but I'm smarter than that."

I gave him an incredulous look at the nickname he had used but admitted to myself that it was better than him fake mocking me with my brother's chosen moniker for me. His shoulders moved up in a shrug before he was looking forward once more. I could see Cato chuckling in front of us, signaling that he had indeed heard our conversation, which I was fine with. Even if the idea of not telling Cato about the backup plan with Crest bothered me, it meant that he was buying the act. I hoped that meant everyone else was buying it, too.

It wasn't long before the first three benches were cleared of their occupants, leaving me to be the next person to go. Cato had shot me a wink as he had left for his turn, causing me to be even more flustered than I already was. I didn't like that I wasn't fully in control of how I felt, most of the day since I had woken up felt like an out of body experience. But I had been trained well by some great people, and I hoped that once I was in there, I could come up with something to impress the judges. It was my chance to shine, and I couldn't afford a mistake.

My name was called over the speaker and the door rose. I took as deep a breath as I could, trying to slow my heart down as I stood and walked to the opening slowly. The hallway that was usually so short during our lunch breaks seemed to stretch on forever, and I could feel my throat drying up. I stopped for a moment, taking another deep breath, trying to calm myself once more. The Gamemakers had already seen me in action before during training, so all I had to do was think of it as any other training day. That thought would be the thought that would get me through.

I emerged into the gymnasium and looked up to see the Gamemakers all looking down at me, looks of something almost akin to anticipation on their faces. That made me feel slightly better that they already thought I was capable of showing them something great. I just had to decide what that something great was going to be.

As I walked toward the spear rack where the trident sat, I scanned the rest of the gymnasium for anything I could use to show off my skill sets. Merrick had suggested that I show off my speed as well as my skills with the trident. Next to the multiple targets that moved and lit up to indicate which target was to be hit was the rock wall we had been required to navigate during our obstacle course. The rock wall was one of the toughest parts of the obstacle course by pulling the handles into the wall and out of the person's grasp or pushing them out away from the wall, trying to knock the person off. A thought entered my mind as I neared the trident that was waiting for me, and I hoped and prayed that it was enough to impress the men up in the balcony.

Grabbing the trident, I turned toward them and bowed my head for a moment, hoping that showing some respect, no matter how undeserved, would win me some brown nosing points. "April Hylet. District Four," I said.

"You have ten minutes," Seneca Crane, the Head Gamemaker called, starting my timer.

I took off toward the wall, hitting the button on the wall next to the targets and bringing them to life. As soon as I pressed it, I heard the sound of them turning, their positions moving every few moments, but I didn't look back to see them just yet. I turned on the mechanism for the rock wall on before collapsing the trident and sliding it through one of the belt loops on my pants to keep it from falling. I looked up the rock wall and found my destination in the form of the usual starting platform for that section of the obstacle course. I had been one of the quickest to navigate the rock wall section of the obstacle course, and I knew I could do it again.

Brimming with a new confidence after coming up with an idea to impress the men that held my fate in their hands, I began my rapid ascent up the rock wall, listening to the mechanisms behind the wall as best I could. If I could pinpoint when handles would disappear or push out, I could keep my momentum going and make it up to the platform in enough time to show my trident skills. A near fall scared me when I misinterpreted a handle and it pushed me out. I held on tightly until the wall pulled the handle back in, and I gathered my footing once more. The platform was within spitting distance, and I knew if my run was clean the rest of the way, I would make it through the individual session with flying colors.

With one last big push, I jumped from the handles onto the platform, pulling myself up quickly. The trident was out in seconds, extending to its full length as I watched the targets move about, waiting for one to light up. After a few moments, I could see the red of one moving, took a quick aim, and launched my trident toward the targets below. When the target turned back toward me, I saw that the trident had hit right where I had wanted it to, right through the chest. Smiling brightly, I looked up at the Gamemakers, many of whom looked impressed by my actions, and the weight that had been sitting on my shoulders all morning lifted away.

I climbed down from the platform the safe way, not wanting to deal with the rock wall once more. Deciding to leave the trident where it was, I made my way to the elevator that would take me back to the apartment to wait for Crest to get back and our scores later in the night. When the doors closed, I pressed the button for the fourth floor and waited for the elevator to move. It had only moved to the lobby of the building before it stopped, the doors opening to reveal none other than Cato. It shouldn't have surprised me to see him out of his apartment after his session, but it did.

"Impressive show," he said casually, stepping into the elevator with me. He pulled out the stop lever to keep it from moving. I was quite surprised when Cato stepped in front of me without fully invading my personal space. It was the first time he had truly kept the distance between us. "I'd say you have a chance at double digits tonight."

"_I_ would say it's hardly fair that you got to see what I did for the Gamemakers, yet I'm in the dark when it comes to your performance," I countered. I assumed that he had seen my session the same way Merrick had seen me pin Cato to the wall during the first day of training. "Although, I'm pretty sure I can guess it had to do with swords."

Cato shrugged his shoulders, taking the smallest step toward me. With me leaning up against the back wall of the elevator, I had wondered how long it would take him to start to close in. It was times when he acted like he did in front of me that made me think the pull between us wasn't just on my end, making me feel more at ease about it and worry more about it at the same time. If it was mutual, it could cause trouble for one or both of us in the arena. It was already getting harder to think about being in the arena at all with him. I knew how dangerous that line of thought was.

"What can I say? You work with what you know, right?" He asked, reaching out to tug at a strand of hair that had fallen from the tie holding it up. "That more than proved your stunt on the first day wasn't just dumb luck."

"Or maybe I just got lucky all over again," I said with a playful smile but ignoring the tug on my hair. I had found that any time I was alone with Cato, if I didn't stay on top of the situation, it would easily be in his control. That wasn't something I needed in any sense.

"We both know that's not true." Cato paused for a moment, studying me carefully. It was almost like he was taking in every single detail of my face, my expression, my posture, anything he could physically read on me. I suddenly felt like I was on the train again, pushed up against the wall with Cato seeing straight through me. It was strange meeting someone who could read me as well as my friends could without knowing me for the years that they had. I would have to find a way to use that to my advantage.

Suddenly and shockingly, Cato took a step away from me and turned back to the panel of buttons. He pressed the number for the second floor and pushed the stop lever back in. The elevator moved with a sudden jolt, and in the blink of an eye, we were already stopping at his floor. He had started to step off the elevator without a second glance toward me but turned to lean in the doorway for a moment. The silence continued to envelop us, and it was strange at how comfortable it was. I chalked it up to the fact that Cato's gaze was no longer scrutinizing and examining but rather curious and determined. I couldn't linger on the thought long before he was turning on his heels and walking into his apartment.

"See you tomorrow, Four," Cato called over his shoulder.

An exasperated sigh left my lips. "It's _April_!" I yelled as the doors closed.

* * *

I accepted the cup of tea my brother handed to me as he sat next to me on the couch in the living area. It was nice to see that my brother knew me well enough to know that tea still calmed me down when I was nervous about something. In a matter of moments, Caesar Flickerman would be on our television, announcing the scores for our individual sessions with the Gamemakers.

"You have nothing to be worried about, April," Merrick said, ruffling the top of my hair. The gesture was just as comforting as it was annoying. "From what I heard, you did a pretty excellent job. I would have stuck around to watch, but you already had sponsors interested in you, and it was the only chance I had to talk to them."

_Lucky for me you weren't there_, I thought. _Otherwise, I would be trying to explain what the hell is going on between me and Cato. _The thought of even mentioning anything about the boy from District Two to my brother made me want to run and hide. Merrick was extremely protective of me, and if he thought there was something standing in between me and leaving the arena, he would freak out more than I knew he already was. "It was better knowing that no one but the Gamemakers were watching. It made it easier to convince myself it was just another day of training."

"Well, it technically was," Crest said as he walked up the stairs to the elevated living room. His hair was still wet from the shower he had taken, and he ran his fingers through the damn strands. "It was just a little more important."

Crest sat down next to me, and I couldn't help but scoff after taking a sip of my tea. "Just a _little_ more important?" I asked, raising an eyebrow in his direction. "I'm pretty sure this fall under the 'extremely' category."

"What?" He asked, feigning ignorance. "It only determines whether or not we get potential lifesaving gifts from people that get joy out of watching children kill each other every year."

"Play nice," Xerxes said jokingly, taking his own seat in a chair by the couch. "We're not around the others anymore. No need to pretend to hate each other here."

I opened my mouth to reply, but the sound of Caesar's show coming from the television cut me off. Cicero and Echo hurried to their seats as Caesar flashed his signature smile to the camera. "And now, one of the most anticipated moments before we get to the arena. I have all of the tributes' scores right here in my hands. Each of them was rated on a scale of one to twelve, twelve being the absolute best and one…well, one being not so great." The smile never faded from his face, and I wondered what kind of work one had to get done to have a smile that big. "Here we go. From District One, Marvel, with a score of nine."

Marvel's face appeared on the screen, a nine moving around his face. Glimmer was next, receiving the same score as her partner. I found myself hoping that Cato was right about me getting double digits. I wanted nothing more than to beat both their scores. Cato was next with a ten, not uncommon for his district. Clove received a nine, surprising me. She was lethal with her throwing knives, and I couldn't imagine her doing something wrong enough to garner a nine. Both tributes from District Three scored a four, and I couldn't help but grimace until Caesar moved on.

"From District Four, Crest Bane, with a score of eight," Caesar said with a slightly smaller smile. "And from District Four, April Hylet with a score of…_ten_."

Merrick yelped in excitement as I felt him clap his hand on my shoulder, pulling me in for a hug and almost spilling my tea. I couldn't bring it in myself to care if he broke the damn cup. I had made a ten. The Gamemakers had been impressed and that was the final push I had needed. The morning's comment from Merrick was almost completely forgotten in the afterglow of that announcement.

"And finally, from District Twelve, Katniss Everdeen, with a score of…" Caesar paused long enough for us all to calm down and hear what the television was saying. "Eleven."

We all looked toward the television in shock. Never in my time of watching the Games had I ever seen anyone receive an eleven. In the past seventy three years, I was sure someone had gotten one, but not in recent enough history for it to matter. Our cheers were completely silent as the television turned off, and I knew Katniss had to be celebrating that victory.

One thing was for sure, Katniss Everdeen could prove herself to be a better ally than I had originally thought.

**CATO OC CATO OC CATO OC CATO OC CATO**

I would also like to apologize that this update took forever and a day to get out. Like I said, I recently started working two jobs, and it's hard to find time to myself. I've been trying to write on breaks so that way once I'm off work, I have less to do at home. I should be able to get an update out at least once a week, though. Twice if it's a good week. Once again, thank you all for being patient and reading and enjoying. Reviews are appreciated :)


	10. coming to you live

**Thank you to all those who favorited this story and put it on alert. I didn't get a lot of feedback on the last chapter, which makes me sad. I don't know if it was because it was terrible or because it took me forever to update, but both would be my fault and I'm sorry. Hopefully this one is better! We're getting close to time for the arena, and I'm getting excited for you all to see those chapters. You'll get a lot of Cato and April development there, and I think we get some in the next chapter. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, Suzanne Collins owns the Hunger Games and everything involved with it, but I own my characters. So, don't steal them. Please? Thank you.**

_So tell me what you want to hear  
Something that will light those ears  
I'm sick of all the insincere  
So I'm gonna give all my secrets away_

**Chapter 10: Coming To You Live**

Pacing back and forth in front of the mirror, I took deep, long breaths, trying my best to calm my nerves. I could hear the crowd filing in from outside, taking their seats and waiting for the show to start, and Xerxes had yet to show up with my dress for the interviews. Just thinking about speaking in front of the sheer amount of people that was sure to be in the crowd made me nervous enough, but not having anything to wear was going to be a disaster. The interview with Caesar was just as important as the training score or the Tribute's Parade. I had people to impress.

"Where the hell is Xerxes?" I asked again, for what had to be the tenth time in the past half hour.

Merrick chuckled to himself as he took a seat on the couch. "He'll be here, but if you don't stop pacing, you're going to make a hole in the floor and fall through it."

His words pulled me out of my small trance; I hadn't realized how much I was walking until I stopped. I gave him a sheepish smile before taking the seat next to him. I kept forgetting that I had a support system in my brother, and I knew it would make it easier on me if I leaned on him a little. That's what he was there for. "Were you this nervous before your interview?"

He laughed loudly and that put me a bit at ease. It was nice to hear him laugh after what felt like ages of him being so serious. "Do you remember how shy I used to be?"

"Not really. I was nine when you left, remember?" Though, there were times when it seemed like it was merely days before that Merrick came back from the Capitol after his time in the arena. The most I could remember from that time was him being closed off to us for a few weeks. He rarely visited and didn't say much. The Games had changed him, and I knew enough to know that he was trying to adjust to that change.

"Well, I was extremely shy. Xerxes helped me get over my fear of talking in front of all those people," he said, draping his arm over my shoulder and pulling me into a side hug. "He'll help you, too."

"It's not that I'm afraid to talk in front of them," I said, leaning my head on his shoulder. "I'm afraid of making an ass of myself in front of them. This is my last chance to impress sponsors, and I don't want to act like an idiot."

"You won't act like an idiot," Merrick said, his tone comforting. "You did great at the Tribute Parade. This is just like that but with more talking."

"It's the talking part that I'm worried about," I sighed. "You really think I can do it?"

Merrick was about to open his mouth to speak when he was interrupted. "Of course you can do it. Your brother was actually a natural at all of the public things, and you're ten times better than he ever was," Xerxes said as he appeared with a folded bag. "Sorry I'm late. Your dress got lost in my studio. I really need to start labeling things."

A smile erupted on my face as I saw him walk over to the mirror and hang up the bag. "Is that my dress?"

"Of course it is! I just left Echo to get Crest ready while we finish up here." Xerxes looked me up and down, nodding approvingly. "I see the stylists have already done your hair and makeup. That means the hard part is over, dear."

I couldn't help but chuckle. My styling team was nice enough, but they were painstaking perfectionists. Having known they would take hours, they had shown up to my room at noon to start their work and finished thirty minutes before I was escorted to my dressing room at Caesar's show. "I hope that's the case," I said, standing up and moving toward Xerxes. "I'm still nervous about talking to him."

"Don't be," Xerxes said, placing a hand on my shoulder and squeezing. "Like I said, you're far better than your brother ever was."

"I'm right here," Merrick said, feigning offense. "But really, Apricot, don't be nervous. Caesar has a way of making you feel very comfortable. Just follow his lead and you'll be fine."

"And flirt. Don't be afraid to flirt a little," Xerxes said as he unzipped the bag. "It's a little expected of you actually after the Parade."

"Fan-fucking-tastic," I mumbled, but as Xerxes pulled out the dress in the bag, I was left speechless.

The dress was a sea green color, the bottom of the dress shimmering like waves, much like my Parade outfit had. There were three rows of pearls around the collar that fastened in the back, and the dress itself was short and backless. It was one of the most beautiful dresses I had ever seen, and I couldn't believe that I would get to wear it. Once again, Xerxes had pulled through and came up with something astonishing.

"Xerxes," I breathed, trying to come up with words to express how thankful I was to him but all I could muster was a wide smile.

"Oh, I already know, honey," Xerxes said with a wink before handing the dress over to me. "Now go put this on while I wait for your shoes. Gaia is bringing them."

I moved behind the mirror that acted as a privacy screen. Slipping my pants off quickly, I tried not to think about how nervous I was when it came to what was waiting for me out on the stage. Even with the comforting words from Merrick and Xerxes, I still had a knot in my stomach. Despite my nervousness, I hoped that I could act as confidently as I had at the Tribute Parade. Unzipping the small zipper on the skirt, I slid the dress up my legs before doing away with my shirt and pulling it up the rest of the way. The clasp behind my neck was harder to get together without a mirror, but I eventually succeeded in closing it.

Stepping out from behind the screen as I zipped up the skirt, I saw Xerxes enter the room again holding a pair of sea green heels with pearls around the ankle strap. He gasped when he saw me, making me feel better.

"God, April, you look absolutely stunning," Xerxes said, walking over to me and ordering me to spin by twirling his finger. I obliged, and he made some sort of giddy noise. "Some of my finest work, I would say."

I took the shoes from him and put them on quickly before standing up and looking in the mirror. Once again, Xerxes and his styling team had really pulled something amazing together. I had a hard time believing it was even me that I was looking at. I felt like the goddess that Caesar had called me out to be on that first night, and it was strange that something as small as a dress could make me feel so confident. Xerxes deserved all the credit; he seemed to have a knack for doing that, not only with me but my brother before me. Turning back to them, I smiled, running my hands down the front of my dress to make it shimmer.

"So, I really look good?" I asked, my timid smile getting more confident. "I mean, I feel good, but…"

Xerxes waved his hand. "Hush, you look marvelous. Doesn't she, Merrick?"

Merrick stood with a small smile of his own. "You're going to knock 'em dead, Apricot."

I let the use of the nickname slide, not wanting to focus on anything but preparing myself for the interview. There was no way to know what Caesar would ask me before getting out there, and we were only allotted three minutes each. That felt like the worst part. I had to win over everyone in such a short amount of time, and if I made a mistake, it could cost me big time when it was time to go in the arena. It suddenly hit me that I would be going into the arena the next day. In less than twenty four hours, I would begin fighting for my life against the other twenty three people chosen for this fate. This was the last opportunity to win over some help before going in.

The door to my dressing room opened suddenly, and a short woman with pin straight black hair appeared in the doorway. "It's time for the tributes to line up. Follow me."

Merrick pulled me into a small hug, which I returned, taking a deep breath. "Xerxes will be in the audience, and I'll be waiting for you backstage, okay?"

I nodded but decided against saying anything, moving to follow the short woman out of the room. We walked down a few corridors before we were in an area below the stage. There were quite a few tributes there, but not everyone had arrived yet. The woman showed me to my place, behind the boy from District Three, leaving without so much as a polite smile. I heard a few more people enter the small waiting area before hearing someone walk up behind me.

"Does this dress look as good from the back as I think it does?" I asked, thinking the person behind me was Crest.

"Definitely," came Cato's voice, his breath ghosting over my ear. "I bet it looks even better from the front, though."

As much as I thought I had been dreading running into Cato before my interview, his voice was becoming somewhat of a comfort. That thought in and of itself was a terrifying one, but I didn't have time to dwell on it. I couldn't let how frightening I found the thought show if I was going to speak to him. Reigning myself in was something I was going to have to do in the arena. Turning around, I looked up at his handsome face. Even with the heels I was wearing, he was still a good eight inches taller than I was. He was wearing a simple silver and black suit, showing off his large frame.

Looking up at him expectantly, I motioned to the front of my dress. "Well?" I asked. "Is this a better view?"

Cato's eyes raked over my form, and I did my best not to squirm under his gaze. It felt like one of those moments where he was seeing right through me, and I wondered if he could honestly always read me like a book. It certainly felt that way. I had never felt so vulnerable around another person, and, especially in the situation we were in, it was unsettling at times. Had we met under different circumstances, there was a chance I would be more open to whatever the almost tangible pull was between us.

Shaking his head, Cato lifted a hand to the collar of my dress, playing with a pearl. "It probably looks better on the floor. Preferably mine."

I rolled my eyes at the obvious line, doing my best not to snort in laughter. "Does that ever work for you? Or are the girls you use it on just so dense that they fall all over it?" I asked, placing my hands on my hips. "Because that sure as hell would never work with me."

The only thing wrong with me saying that was that Cato knew what _did_ work with me. After he had been the sincerest I had ever seen him, it was hard to resist and ignore the connection that I felt between the two of us. There was something I could see behind the bloody and the brutal; I could read him almost as well as he could read me. There was still something that he was holding back, and I knew my curiosity would get the best of me eventually.

"I'm actually zero for one in my attempts," Cato said, and I was sure the surprise showed on my face. "The academy back in Two didn't leave _much_ time for girls. But when it did, I never had to use a line."

"You think you're so smooth, don't you?" I asked, trying to hide my amused smile. He was trying to get under my skin, but I wasn't going to let that happen.

Cato took a step closer, closing some of the distance between us, and effectively stepping inside my personal bubble. That just proved even more that I was right. Usually when he stepped closer, I got flustered and couldn't find my words. "It got to you, didn't it?"

I opened my mouth to retort, but the short woman appeared again, ushering us to get into our proper places and telling us that our interviews were about to start. Cato gave me one last glance before moving a few spaces up in the line. Part of me wanted to talk to him longer, to fall back into that familiar banter that was between us after only a few days, but that would have to wait until after the interviews. I ran my hands down the front of my dress again, flattening out the nonexistent wrinkles. It was easier to focus on my dress, giving me something to do when I wasn't thinking about what Caesar might ask me. I was sure he was going to bring up my brother, but anything else was fair game.

"Would you leave your dress alone?" Crest said as he took his spot behind me. "You're making _me_ nervous."

I looked over my shoulder to smile sheepishly at Crest. "It's a nice distraction," I said, looking over his outfit. We didn't match like we had for the Tribute Parade, though the tie for his suit was a similar color to our outfits from that day. He wore a deep blue suit, like the color of the ocean late in the day, with a simple white shirt. His broad shoulders looked like they were almost ready to burst out of his jacket. "You look good."

"So do you, so stop worrying," he said again. "You're going to be great!" The vote of confidence he had in me helped the nervousness ebb slightly.

As Glimmer was moved up the stairs toward the stage, I kept thinking over what I could possibly talk about, how I would flirt, and how I would act. All I wanted was for it to appear like I was comfortable and the conversation was flowing naturally. I didn't need to seem like I was coming on strong or trying too hard; that was an easy way to drive away sponsors. Poised and flirty was supposed to be my tactic, and if I could keep my head, I could very well pull it off. With every deep breath, I felt my heart beat slowing down, helping keep the nerves away.

It felt like I had been barely standing there for a few minutes before I heard Caesar announcing Cato to the stage, and I couldn't help but look up at the screen down below with us. Cato appeared right on cue, his confident smile a bit more appealing than his smirk. I still preferred his genuine smile. After waving to the crowd and shaking Caesar's hand, Cato took his seat across from the host, that confident smile never leaving his face.

"Cato, welcome, welcome!" Caesar said, sitting up straight, having to tilt his head up slightly to look Cato in the face. "I must say, it is rather intimidating sitting here next to you."

"That's the idea, Caesar," Cato said, his tone as cocky as his smile. "You should be glad you won't be going into the arena tomorrow."

Caesar laughed, his mouth wide open as it always was, and the crowd chuckles loudly with him. "Oh, I am. I doubt I would last a minute up against you, especially with your lineage." He shifted in his seat, leaning more toward Cato. "Your father was the Victor of the 48th Hunger Games. How does that affect your strategy?"

I was surprised to hear that Cato had a relative that was a former Victor as well. He hadn't really mentioned his father aside from the night that he attacked Marvel. Then again, I didn't talk much about Merrick, either. The only time I had talked about him was when Peeta asked me if it was true that my mentor was my brother. I knew what having a Victor in your family meant if you were a tribute. You had something to live up to.

"Well, it doesn't, really. He had his strategy, and I have mine," Cato said, his usual smirk sliding into his face. "And mine is going to be just as successful as his was."

Caesar seemed to gravitate toward what Cato was selling to the crowed and the sponsors, going along with him. "I love the confidence, Cato! And I'm sure you've got the skills to back it up. You did score a ten in your training session, and if memory serves, that's one point higher than your father's score."

"You would be right. I've been working hard to get here, and I'm ready to show everyone what I can do. District Two and the Hadley family are both going to have another winner this year. I can guarantee that," Cato said, the smile no longer on his face while his tone still exuded confidence.

The crowd gave Cato a round of applause, Caesar joining in with them. "Both seem very well represented this year."

"Well, it's an honor to be representing my district," he replied, sending a smile out to the crowd. It was almost genuine but didn't quite reach his eyes. "And my family."

"Of course. And I'm sure both are proud to have you here. You seem very strong willed and determined to get to the end," Caesar observed easily. "And you're obviously a fighter."

"All anyone needs to know is that I'm prepared. I'm vicious. I'm ready to go," Cato said, and it was easy to see why anyone would consider him a front runner. He was everything the Capitol wanted in a victor.

"I would wish you luck, but I doubt that you need it," Caesar said just as the buzzer went off. He stood along with Cato, holding Cato's arm high in the air. The crowd erupted in applause, some of them standing as they clapped. He was obviously satisfied with his interview from the amount of cheers he was getting. It wasn't a surprise, though. Adding on the fact that he was a former Victor's son, he was strong, intimidating, confident, and had everything he needed to back up his claim at being the winner of the Games.

It wasn't long before both of the tributes from District Three were gone, and I was standing at the front of the line. Caesar did as best he could with the girl from District Three, but she was far too shy and quiet to make a lasting impression on anyone. I was called up the stairs to the stage before the District Three boy was called up and only caught the tail end of his interview before I was getting prepped to walk out.

The crowd had just finished applauding for the boy when Caesar started his introduction for me. I could feel my right hand shaking slightly, deciding to focus all of my nervous energy there until it was time for me to walk out. Once I was on the stage, I had to be calm and collected. Most of all, I couldn't act like I was worried that I wouldn't be leaving the arena alive. Poise, confidence, and a dash of flirtatious were going to be my attitude once my name was called.

"And here she is, from District Four," Caesar called, pointing toward the door I would walk out, "April Hylet!"

The crowd broke out into a loud burst of cheering, and I couldn't believe that so many people were excited to see me and hear me talk for three minutes. My hand was up instantly, waving to the crowd as I smiled sweetly at them. Once my eyes were on Caesar, I gave him a small wink. Reaching out to shake his hand, he promptly took it and kissed the back of it, and somehow, I was already at ease. The crowd wasn't there; it was just me and the blue haired host.

"April, my God, you look incredible," Caesar said, looking over my dress before moving to sit down, which I promptly did as well. "Absolutely breathtaking. I know I said you were a goddess before, but now I'm thinking you have to be a siren."

I chuckled as I leaned toward him in my chair. "Well, don't go giving away my secret, Caesar," I said, surprising even myself with my quick response. "How else will I lure in all the tributes?"

"Oh my. Pretty, deadly, and witty. You're a triple threat," Caesar said, and I was glad that he was latching on to my plan as well. Merrick had been right when he said the host knew how to read people. "Now, your weapon of choice is the…?"

"Aside from my looks?" I asked, keeping up the charade of the femme fatale I was supposed to be. It got an 'oh' from the crowd, which I was quite proud of. "I'm pretty proficient with a trident."

"Oh, proficient isn't what I heard. Is it true that you pinned one of the other tributes to the wall of the gymnasium?" Caesar asked excitedly.

I was caught off guard for a moment by his question. Merrick hadn't told me that anyone outside the training area knew about it, so I assumed it was going to stay under wraps. It wasn't uncommon for tributes to try and attack each other, but I had never heard of something like what I had done to Cato. "A lady doesn't attack and tell, Caesar," I said, an air of mystery around my answer.

"Oh, you are quite feisty, aren't you? If it is true, though, I must say, I wouldn't want to meet you in a dark alley," Caesar joked, leaning back with a chuckle.

"You wouldn't want to meet me in a lit alley, either," I added, and he only laughed more. That laughing smile seemed to be his response to everything, and it was strangely relaxing. It was easy to ignore the crowd when Caesar was talking or laughing.

"I suppose you're right. Anyone who scores a ten or higher is on my list of people not to cross." Caesar leaned toward me slightly, reaching out to touch my arm. "Speaking of tens, your brother is your mentor this year. You're our second tribute with a family member being a previous Victor. How is Merrick? I haven't had the chance to see him just yet."

_Well, he is busy trying to keep me alive. _I smiled sweetly at him, as him his concern for my brother was something I cherished. "Oh, he's wonderful. He actually told me to tell you he sends his regards if I got the chance."

"I'll have to make sure I find time to talk to him myself," Caesar said, before moving on. "Now I asked your fellow tribute this earlier, and I'll extend the question to you as well. Will Merrick's strategy affect your own?"

"Well, Merrick's Games were far more recent than Cato's father's Games, so I'm sure most of the tributes saw how he played. I've even seen a few tributes watching footage of his time in the arena. I assume they're trying to prepare for what I'm going to do," I explained, thinking back to Glimmer and Marvel. "All I can say about my strategy is that if they think I'm a carbon copy of my brother, they've got another thing coming."

Caesar made a cat growling sound, and another laugh bubbled up in my throat. "Definitely don't want to meet you in a dark alley. I think it's safe to say that you're going to be quite the formidable opponent in the arena."

Leaning in just a bit more, I let a smirk almost akin to Cato's turn up the corners of my lips. "Formidable doesn't even begin to describe me, Caesar," I said in a low voice, trying to play up the siren he was claiming me to be.

"Oh my," Caesar said, pulling his hand of my arm and fanning himself. The buzzer suddenly went off, and I felt relieved that I had made it through the interview without incident. "Well, I look forward to seeing you in the arena and of course, I wish you luck." He took my hand then, standing the both of us up and holding my hand up in the air. "Miss April Hylet, everyone!"

Applause filled the room again, and the sweet smile I had worn as I had entered was the same on I flashed to the crowd as I left. I was off the stage in a matter of moments and breathed a sigh of relief. Merrick was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs, and I launched myself into his arms as soon as I was in reach, hugging him tightly. I only had to go through that again if I won the Games, and I wasn't sure if that brought me comfort or made me cringe.

"That was fantastic, April," Merrick said before setting me down. He grabbed both of my shoulders reassuringly and smiled brightly at me. "I told you they would love you. You killed it out there!"

"Thanks. Was the flirting too terrible?" I asked, scrunching my face in scrutiny of my performance.

Merrick shook his head, standing back to full height and dropping his arms back to his side. "No, it was perfect," he said. "I mean, I didn't enjoy watching my sister flirt with Caesar, who I'm pretty sure is older than dirt, but it worked." He held out his arm for me to take then, nodding his head toward the hallway to our left. "Let's head back to the room, and we can watch the rest of the interviews there."

I thought about it for a moment before the part of me that had wanted to talk to Cato more was louder than the rest of me. "Actually, I'm going to stick around where the action is, but you can go," I said with a wave of my hand. "I'll come back up later."

It seemed like Merrick was going to question me for a few moments before deciding against it. That alone was a relief. "Alright. Don't stay out too long," he said, leaning forward to kiss my temple. "You need your rest tonight. Tomorrow's the big day."

I simply nodded as he walked away, waiting until he was completely out of sight before beginning my search. There were many areas below the stage where there were televisions, and I wondered if Cato had even stuck around or had left like my brother had. If he wasn't still watching the interviews, my next plan of action was to go up to his apartment. It felt a little desperate, but I wanted to see the real Cato, the one that could genuine and sincere, before we went into the arena. It would be the last chance to see him before we were fighting for our lives.

Happiness flooded through me as I turned a corner, spotting Cato sitting in a dressing room, watching one of the interviews. I heard Caesar say District Ten, but I didn't catch whether it was the male or female tribute. Cato had yet to see me, and it was nice to see him a bit more relaxed. His silver jacket was tossed over the back of his couch, and the sleeves of his dress shirt were rolled up almost to his elbows. He looked a bit bored but continued watching nonetheless.

Deciding to make myself known, I knocked on the door frame to his room, and he looked up at me instantly. "Hey," I said with a smile. "Still here, I see."

One of those genuine smiles moved up his face, and I couldn't help but wonder if they were reserved for me. I had yet to see him give one to another person. "Yeah. Clove hates heels and was ready to get out of them. I think she mentioned something about throwing knives in the kitchen, too," Cato joked, moving over slightly on the couch, even though there was plenty of room. I took it as a sign to sit down.

I chuckled lightly, pulling my legs up onto the couch and up under me. "I highly doubt she needs the practice," I said, glancing up at the television to see the District Ten female finish her interview. "You did a really great job tonight," I said, looking back at him. "I didn't realize we had something in common."

Cato raised an eyebrow to me, looking me up and down for a moment. "I thought you were aware we were both pretty damn attractive," he supplied.

If he hadn't been looking at me, I would have missed the small flicker of something akin to doubt cross his face. I could tell he was avoiding the subject of relatives being Victors, and I decided to let it slide for the time being. I wouldn't have stuck to the subject for long, even if he had picked up on it.

"Yes, you've made that abundantly clear," I said, holding up a hand in mock surrender. It was so easy to fall into a banter with him, both strangely relaxing and frustrating at the same time. I kept coming back to the point of if I was going to go home, Cato had to die. The thought didn't sit well with me. "I won't stop you from reminding me, though." I waved my hand toward myself jokingly, as if waiting to be complimented.

Cato surprised me by leaning over and brushing his fingers through the ends of my hair that was still down. "Your team did an amazing job. You look gorgeous tonight," he said, his voice as genuine as the night he had thanked me for cleaning his hand. I felt a blush creep up my cheek but couldn't turn away. His blue eyes were locked with mine, neither of us intending to break the stare. "Not that you need any help."

"You don't clean up so badly yourself," I said in return, reaching up to play with the fingers that were still in my hair. He didn't pull away, and the feel of his hand underneath mine was comforting. It was warm beneath my palm, and all I wanted to do was lace my fingers through his.

We were interrupted by the sound of flames loudly whooshing on the television. Looking up, I saw Katniss twirling on stage, the bottom of her dress billowing in flames until she finally stopped. Caesar and the whole crowd seemed enthralled by her. It killed me that she was so likable, which I couldn't really complain about, because I liked her. The sacrifice she made for her sister was admirable.

"God, I fucking hate her," Cato said, his voice almost sounding like a snarl. I felt his hand turn into a fist and smoothed my thumb over his knuckle.

"She's actually not bad at all. What do you have against her?"

Cato huffed as if I should have already known the answer. "She took all of the attention at the Tribute Parade. She somehow scored a fucking eleven," he explained, both of which sounded like he was just jealous of the marginally larger amount of attention she got over him.

"Is Cato jealous that people aren't paying attention to him?" I asked, giving his hand a squeeze as I slightly poured my lips.

"Laugh it up. She's taking attention away from you, too." Cato may have seen it that way, but people paying attention to Katniss wasn't a concern of mine. I had proved myself plenty worthy, as had he, to garner enough attention for sponsors. The Capitol was full of them, and I was sure I had gotten some to root for me.

"…you win this thing, and she'll have to go out with you," Caesar said to Peeta, his voice filling the silence between Cato and me. The crowd cheered, seemingly agreeing with his plan.

"I don't think winning is going to help me at all," Peeta said, almost sadly. I had caught enough to know they were talking about a girl. Peeta was handsome enough that he didn't need something like the Hunger Games to get a girl to like him.

"And why's that?" Caesar asked, seeming genuinely interested in Peeta's love woes.

Peeta hesitated for a moment, as if deciding whether or not to answer. "Because she came here with me," he sighed, his eyes downcast.

I missed the rest because I could almost feel how angry Cato was sitting next to me. It rolled off of him in waves, and I was mentally trying to think of ways to calm him down. The spotlight was stolen by the pair from District Twelve, and deciding it was the best course of action, I leaned over and lightly kissed the corner of Cato's mouth. He was snapped from his trance and looked at me, surprised I had even made a move. My plan had worked, though. He seemed less angry. I just needed to finish the job.

"Do you wanna get out of here?"

**CATO OC CATO OC CATO OC CATO OC CATO**

Wow! This is my longest chapter to date, which is why it took a bit longer to get out. I have had to write up a lot of it on my phone before transferring it to a word document. But it's here and I hope you all enjoy it. There's one chapter between here and the arena. And then shit will finally start going down, hitting the fan, and all sorts of other things that shit does ;) once again, reviews are overwhelmingly encouraged!


	11. tomorrow is not just another day

**Thank you to all those who favorited this story and put it on alert. For all of you that know the song, Your Surrender by Neon Trees fits, not only this chapter, but the entire Cato/April relationship perfectly to me. If you don't know it, go listen to it. It's a fantastic song. We get some Cato and April goodness as well as April and her brother. Guys, reviews really make me happy, even if it's just a great job or a constructive criticism. I can't tell you how happy I am to get a review notification in my email. I hope you enjoy this chapter! REVIEW! I can't stress that enough.**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, Suzanne Collins owns the Hunger Games and everything involved with it, but I own my characters. So, don't steal them. Please? Thank you.**

_I got close to your skin, while you were sleepin'  
I taste the salt on your hands  
I reached out to touch you  
The morning light disarms you  
Won't you let me in?  
Oh… How long till your surrender?_

**Chapter 11: Tomorrow is Not Just another Day**

Thankfully, it hadn't taken much convincing after Cato had calmed down to get him to follow me. As much as I knew I should have been trying to get some rest, there was no way I would be sleeping much that night. The worry of what was ahead of me in the arena was too daunting to get any proper rest. I was less than a day away from entering the fight of my life. The thought put a weight on my shoulders that was beyond heavy.

As soon as we were in the elevator, I reached up to hold onto Cato's shoulder while taking my heels off with my other hand. There was no reason to wear them once we were back in the training center and apartment building. Cato looked down at me oddly to which I just smiled, dangling my shoes from my fingers as I pressed the button to take us to the roof. I wanted to dangle my legs in the pool one last time before we went into the arena. There was every chance our arena would be a desert, and I didn't want my last good memory of water to be a shower.

"The roof, huh?" He asked as the elevator moved. "Why there?"

"It's secluded, there's a pool, and our last time up there was interrupted by a certain person's temper," I said with a pointed look. "I'd like to live just a little before we head out tomorrow."

The doors opened quickly, a rush of air letting me know that we were indeed on the roof. I smiled as I felt the breeze flip through the few strands of hair that had fallen from their confines, the feel of it almost completely calming. Without thinking, I slipped my hand into Cato's and began pulling him toward the pool. The only downside to being on the roof was the noise of the crowd below, hyped up for the Games to begin.

"Are you planning to swim?" Cato asked as we approached the pool, and I dropped my shoes as we got closer.

"Not really. My stylist would kill me if I swam in this dress or even got it slightly wet." Before he could even reply, I knew exactly what he was going to come back with. "And no, that doesn't mean I'm swimming without it." I turned around to face away from him. "See how it's _backless_? There's nothing under here that will hold up in water."

"I've had physical evidence to the contrary that there's something under there that would work just fine," Cato said, stepping up behind me.

I had to fight myself not to lean back against him and managed to turn and step around him with more ease than I imagined possible. "I just want to sit and relax for a while," I said, moving to the edge of the pool and lowering my feet in the water as I sat at the edge. "I miss the water." It wasn't the ocean from back home, but it was better than nothing.

Cato said nothing, only responding with a nod as he slowly began unlacing his shoes. It was hard not to be mesmerized, even by his smallest of movements, and I had to question my own mind as to what was so intriguing about Cato rolling up the pant legs of his suit. When I had mentioned the pool, I had made no insinuation that I wanted him to join me, but it was sweet of him to take part in my little glimpse of back home.

Leaning back and lying against the side of the pool, I looked up at the sky. It was almost the same sky I could see from my own home, but there was just the slight difference that made my heart ache. With the water at my feet and the sky above me, I was longing for home more than I had been since I had left.

"I don't like big cities," I said suddenly, not taking my eyes off the deep black above me.

"What?" Cato asked, looking over at me and sounding slightly confused.

I managed to pull my eyes away from the sky to look at him. "I'm volunteering information about myself," I said, a hint of sarcasm in my voice. "It's called getting to know each other. I don't like big cities." When Cato continued to look at me, though his gaze had changed from confused to thoughtful, I rolled my eyes and nudged him in the ribs with my hand. "This is where you're supposed to be polite and ask why."

It was Cato's turn to roll his eyes at my antics, but it had an air of playfulness around it. The banter had really become such a normal back and forth for us that I hadn't minded. "Okay then. Why don't you like big cities?"

I looked back to the sky for a moment, taking a deep breath. It was blacker than I cared for, stars that I knew to be there invisible to me. "You can't see the stars. The lights dim them out."

I saw Cato's gaze move to the sky out of the corner of my eye, and I was sure he had never really thought about the stars the way I did. They were an important part of my life growing up, and being unable to see the beautiful flicker of them in the night sky was disheartening. And with Merrick's description of how the arena would work, we wouldn't get to see a real night sky.

"What's so great about the stars?" He asked quietly, his tone genuine.

I smiled a little to myself, hoping that if I continued to talk about myself, he would eventually feel comfortable enough to return the favor. "My father runs a successful fishing business. Before he had more workers then he knew what to do with, he had to run one of the boats himself. We would always beg him to take us with him, me and my brother Wade." I had been so focused on preparing myself for the arena, to try to win that I hadn't thought much of my family. Seeing them in my head brought a soft smile to my lips. "Finally, after weeks and weeks of begging, my father took us out on his boat. He just sort of showed us the ropes and made us familiar with everything. We didn't fish that day. But we stayed for hours out there in the water, just having ourselves a little adventure."

"Learning the difference between port and starboard was an adventure?" I looked up at him, shocked by the terms he had used. He chuckled at the surprise on my face. "My family lives by a lake."

I nodded slowly, tucking that bit of information away and schooling my face again before looking back to the sky. "The adventure came after the sun had started setting," I supplied, continuing as if he hadn't said anything. "The last of the blue sky was fading away when we finally decided it was time to head back. Much to our dismay, when my father moved to the control panel, our navigation system had shorted out, and my brother and I panicked, having no idea what to do without coordinates or a compass. But my father eased our worries. He taught us how to navigate using the stars that night, and we made it home safely."

I finally let my eyes fall back to Cato, blushing almost immediately. He was doing nothing to hide the fact that he had been staring at me with a look of wonderment and awe. It was a moment like that that made me so sure that the pull I felt toward Cato was mutual, that I wasn't just making something up in my head. The question of whether or not he felt it too was on the tip of my tongue before he opened his mouth and stopped me.

"How exactly do you navigate with stars?" When I looked confused at his question, he continued. "Star mapping wasn't exactly a priority in Two."

I couldn't tell if he was genuinely curious, hoping to use the skill to his advantage in the arena, or if he was asking for the sake of getting to know me. There were times when Cato could be hard to read when he wanted to be, and he had picked then as one of those times. I couldn't exactly deny him if it was out of curiosity itself of for me. Pushing myself back up into a sitting position, I moved a little closer to him so our lines of sight would be similar. That's what I had told myself, anyway.

"Well, there are tons of different constellations of stars that can help you get your bearings a little," I started, but I knew all of it wouldn't stick. Basic was better. "But there's only one star you really need to look to for help." Leaning over a little more, I pointed up to one of the lone stars you could see with the lights of the city blinding the rest. "See that bright one at the end of that curved line of stars?" I waited for a moment for him to follow the direction of my finger, feeling him lean in just enough to line up with my arm and look up. When he nodded a moment later, I continued. "That's Polaris. The North Star. It never moves because it sits directly at the top of the North Pole. As long as it's directly in front of you, you're going north."

Cato mulled over my words for a moment before nodding and leaning back away from me, resting his palms behind him. "Well, I guess you learn something new every day," he finally said, and I was still no closer to knowing why he had asked. It was a start, though.

I looked at him expectantly for a few moments, but when he didn't continue, I filled the silence for him. "This is the part where you tell me something about yourself. That's how getting to know each other works. It's a back and forth kind of thing."

Cato looked surprised by my words, and it took only a second for the pieces to fall into place in my head. No one had ever gotten close enough to him to want to get to know him. I tried to make my expression as sincere as possible, wanting him to know that I genuinely cared about what he might tell me. Moving my feet back and forth in the water, I moved a little closer to him, turning my body more to face him. I hoped that the openness in my stance would make him more comfortable to talk to me. He had never seemed to have a problem before, but that was also just flirting and banter.

Cato suddenly cleared his throat, and I smiled encouragingly, waiting to see what he would say. "In what little spare time I get from training, I play the guitar to relax. My grandfather gave me his once he couldn't play anymore, and I taught myself how to play. Mindlessly strumming after a day of training calms me down."

"Music is a good outlet. It's also pretty impressive that you taught yourself. I wouldn't have the patience for that," I said with a bright smile. I nudged his side with my elbow before looking back out at the water. "See? I already feel like I know you better."

We fell into silence once more, the quiet lapping of the water against the sides of the pool reminding me of the docks from back home. I couldn't help but close my eyes and just listen. Waves crashed against the shores of the beach, the ocean air filled my lungs, and it almost felt like I was home. I could almost forget that the sounds and smells were just my mind in the relaxed state it was in. I said a silent prayer that the arena wasn't completely dry.

When my eyes finally fluttered open, I found Cato just staring at me with a small smile. I wished dearly that we had somehow met under different circumstances, that we didn't have to go up against each other at some point. What he made me feel after just a few short days of knowing him was unexplainable and terrifying, but it was there, and I couldn't do a damn thing about it. I just prayed that whatever the connection was between us didn't stand between me and going home.

"Are you sure you want me in your alliance?" I asked, trying to get my mind away from my thoughts of strictly him.

"Why wouldn't I want the second biggest badass in the competition in my alliance?"

"Second biggest?" I said, feigning offense.

Cato sat up straighter, a cocky grin appearing on his face. "Well, behind me, of course."

I rolled my eyes and playfully shoved his shoulder before my smile started to get smaller. "Seriously, though. Am I completely welcome? After what happened with Marvel?"

"Marvel knows not to do anything stupid or it'll get him killed," Cato said, his tone almost protective.

"And what about Glimmer?"

"What about Glimmer?"

"Are you really oblivious to the fact that she hangs on your every word and move? And hates the fact that you talk to me more than you talk to her?" If looks were able to kill, I wouldn't have even made it off of the train. "Catty girls are dangerous."

"Look, even if she did come after you, which I'm not saying she will, I think you could take her." Cato surprised me by slinging his arm around my shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "You're small, but you're feisty. And you're stronger and faster than she is. But honestly, I don't think you have anything to worry about. So relax, Four."

"And you got so good with calling me by my name," I said, only slightly annoyed. But if Cato thought all was well, I would try not to worry.

"Maybe I just like seeing you angry. I believe I've told you that you're cute when you're angry," Cato replied, teasing me.

Part of me knew that he was just trying to get under my skin, loving to see how he could get to me, but I was feeling the playfulness as well and decided to go with it. "I do remember you saying that I'm cute when I'm angry."

"Well, you are," Cato said with a shrug, though his voice was sincere. "And you can't argue with the truth."

"I could, but something tells me you would argue right back that I was too stubborn to accept the compliment," I replied, looking up at him.

He was so close with his arm draped over my shoulders that we were sharing more space than was necessary, but I didn't want him to move away. It was rare to get to see him like this, to see him out of Games mode and just enjoying himself. At least, I hoped he was enjoying himself. It seemed like he was, which I was more than thankful. I wanted Cato around and to get to know him, but then the lingering thought that he could very possibly be dead soon hung over me. I tried to push it away as much as I could, because once the Games started, I wouldn't be enjoying myself all that much anymore.

"Are you saying you don't accept it?" He asked, his voice lower than normal.

"You're hardly the first guy to compliment me," I said, hoping I didn't sound too vain. I knew I fell under the standard definition of pretty, but I hardly considered myself the knockout, gorgeous type. "But would it have killed you to leave of the 'when you're angry' part?"

"It might have," Cato said, smirking only slightly before his lips curled into a real smile. The arm around my shoulder pulled me just a little closer, his eyes never leaving mine. "You are very pretty, April."

Despite my previous comment, I felt a blush slightly cross my face and couldn't help but smile up at him. "You're not so bad yourself," I said quietly, my eyes flicking down to his lips for a moment. It was hard to ignore them given how close he was to me, and I didn't miss it when his gaze found my lips.

Just as our lips brushed, the clock tower in the square next to the apartments clanged loudly, signaling that it was the top of the hour. I looked over to see that it was turning midnight and cringed. I really needed to try and sleep before we went into the arena, much to my dismay. As much as I wanted to stay with Cato, Merrick would have my head if I was out for any longer. It would also put me in the position to explain where I had been, a conversation I wasn't ready to have with my brother.

"I have to go," I said, reluctantly pulling away, hoping it showed on my face that I wasn't ready to leave.

"Why?" Cato asked, but didn't move to make me stay. In fact, he stood up quickly, reaching down to help pull me up. "Is this where your dress turns to rags and your shoes turn to pumpkins?"

A laugh bubbled up in my chest, and I smiled sweetly up at him. "Hardly, but we have an early day tomorrow, and we both know we could use the rest," I said, my smile turning sheepish. "All that training won't do any good if we pass out from exhaustion."

Appealing to that side of him seemed to do the trick, and he picked up his coat and my shoes from the side of the pool. "I'll drop ride down with you to your floor," he said, leading me to the elevator.

As we stepped in, I pressed the buttons for two and four before leaning against the back wall next to him. "Thank you for humoring me and telling me something about you," I said, smiling up at him. "It makes it easier to trust you."

"It was nice to hear your story, too," Cato said, handing my shoes to me as the elevator slowed. He seemed to not want me to leave as much as I did which actually made me feel a little good. It was just another thing that pointed to the connection I felt being mutual. "You know, you're not so bad, April."

The elevator doors opened, and I stepped into the doorway, keeping them open. "What every girl wants to hear," I chuckled, giving him a small smile. The next time I saw him would be under more serious circumstances, so I wanted to make the last of our time away from it all count. Standing up on my tip toes, I pressed my lips against his, not giving myself a moment to second guess my actions. The kiss was lingering, not the most passionate of the few we had shared but not lacking, and I felt it all the way to my toes. When I pulled away, he seemed to be in a daze, and I couldn't help but grin. "Until tomorrow."

I started backing away, and it wasn't until the doors started to shut that he finally replied. "Tomorrow." And he was gone.

I moved through the apartment quietly, all the lights off indicating that everyone was already in bed. I had been lucky that only Xerxes had seen me sneak in the last time, and I was even luckier to make it to my room without anyone knowing I was coming in late from the roof. I took off my dress and slipped a shirt over my head before crawling beneath the blankets on the bed. Pulling the pins from my hair, the strands tumbled out and fell to my shoulders, and I tossed the pins on the nightstand.

Before I laid back on the pillows, I grabbed the remote for the window and turned on the scene of the ocean once more. The familiar crash of the waves brought a longing half smile to my face. With my head on the pillow, I looked up at the ceiling, letting my thoughts wash away with the flow of the tide on the window, and before I knew it, I was in a dreamless sleep.

* * *

A knock at my door too early for my standards pulled me from my slumber. The sun was barely starting to show itself over the horizon when I turned the waves in the window off. The horizon was a foreboding red color, but it was certainly fitting with what would happen in a few hours' time. Rubbing at my eyes, I moved over to the door, opening it to find my brother standing in front of me.

"It's time to get dressed," he said, and he looked like he had gotten about as much sleep as I had. My heart squeezed in my chest at the worry etched on his face.

I simply nodded, turning back into the room and opening the draw that I had been told would have my arena clothes waiting for me. I had looked at them the first morning of training, trying to figure out what kind of arena they would have, but nothing stood out. I pulled on the pants and changed my shirt, slipping on plain shoes, knowing that the rest of my clothes were waiting in the chamber under the arena for me.

I followed behind him as he took me to the elevator, pressing the button for the room, and I took a deep breath. It was all coming too fast for me, and the thought that I would be fighting the other tributes in just a few hours was making my stomach turn. It made me wonder if my survival instinct would ever kick in, especially if my brain was already worrying about what would happen if Cato and I were the last two standing. Pushing him from my mind was what I needed to do, and after we passed the spot that we had talked the night before, that was exactly what I did. I wouldn't worry about him until I was on my pedestal.

There was a hovercraft waiting for us, and we stepped on either side of the ladder which was pulled up the instant we were on it. A woman with a syringe was there when the ladder stopped, and she told me to remain still as Merrick walked away. I hissed in pain when it was pushed into my skin and saw a light flicker under my skin. It was the tracker the Gamemakers would use to keep an eye on where I was in the arena.

Merrick called me over to a table full of food, and despite my nervous stomach, I knew it was better to eat then, because I wasn't entirely guaranteed a meal on the first night. I filled my plate with anything I could reach and forced all of the food down. It wasn't until the windows blacked out that I needed to take a few calming breaths. It could only mean that we were getting close to the arena, and that I wasn't allowed to see it until I was in it.

I jumped slightly when I felt Merrick's hand close around mine. "April, you're going to be fine. You've been trained for this," he said, squeezing my hand. I found some comfort in his voice, and my breathing slowed. "Just believe in yourself like I do."

The hovercraft jostled when it touched down, and we were led back over to the ladder. When we were lowered that time, it was through a tube into the catacombs, and I couldn't help but reach over for Merrick's hand as we walked down the hall to my chamber. Merrick let go once we were inside, and moved over to the jacket and boots sitting next to a clear tube. He examined the clothes for a few minutes as I stood there, waiting.

"The jacket is designed to reflect your body heat, and the boots are insulated," he said, handing them over to me.

"Which means it will be cold," I supplied, a grimace on my face. I slipped off my old shoes and pulled the boots over my feet, lacing them quickly.

Merrick shook his head. "Not constantly. If we were somewhere snowy, you'd be dressed in thicker clothing already. Probably just during the night."

I nodded before turning around, letting him slip the jacket onto my frame. When I turned back to him, I couldn't help but surge forward and hug him, taking deep breaths to keep myself from tearing up. I couldn't look like I had been crying when I emerged into the arena.

I could see unshed tears in Merrick's eyes as well when we pulled back, and he coughed to keep himself in check. "Now, you know not to step off the pedestal before the clock hits zero," he said, and I nodded. "Find the trident quickly, and stay close to your alliance. If someone during the Bloodbath gives you trouble, they should help you out."

"Thirty seconds," said a feminine voice over the PA system.

My heart began to pound in my chest, and I reached around the back of my neck to take off the locket I had been wearing since Finnick had given it to me. "Hold on to this," I said, lowering it into Merrick's open hand. "Keep it safe while I'm gone. I don't want to lose Mother's locket."

"You're putting it back on as soon as you get back, though," Merrick said confidently.

The reassurance of his voice made me feel better once more, and with the PA telling me I had ten seconds, I stepped into the tube, keeping my eyes on my brother as it closed.

"I'll see you soon," I yelled loudly so he could hear me through the glass, trying to sound confident. I knew he had been right. There were so many people that believed in me; I just had to believe in me, too.

The platform I was standing on suddenly started to rise, and I gave Merrick one last wave before he was out of sight. All I could see were grey stone walls as I moved through the tube. There was only the occasional passing light, and I wondered how far underground we went before light was shining down on me. There was an opening above me, and after a few more painstaking seconds, the bright light of the sun hit my face and it took me a few seconds to adjust.

Surrounded my forest and high grass, the arena was lush and green with a large lake on the other side of the Cornucopia. The trees were tall, their leaves lush and dense. Knowing the arenas were always rather large, I knew the forest had to stretch on for miles in any given direction. It was impossible to see anything five feet past the tree line. With the lake possibly being the only source of hydration, I felt a bit like a fish out of water.

Of one thing I was certain about the arena. Katniss would be right at home.

**CATO OC CATO OC CATO OC CATO OC CATO**

I'm so sorry this took so long, but my computer crashed and I was so afraid that I had lost the story. Thankfully my computer guy was able to get it back up and recover the document! I just got it back yesterday and have been working diligently to finish the chapter. I hope it isn't too terrible. Thank you all for your continued reading and support! It's almost arena time! (review review review! please please please!)


	12. let the games begin

**Thank you to all those who favorited this story, put it on alert, or reviewed it. You guys are getting this because I had most of the chapter already written ages ago. I did a couple of rewrites, but hopefully it comes out the way I wanted it. This story is already almost to the halfway point, and I hope you're enjoying it as much as I am. This story is honestly my baby, and it so nice to just have it out there, having people reading it and liking it.**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, Suzanne Collins owns the Hunger Games and everything involved with it, but I own my characters. So, don't steal them. Please? Thank you.**

_Feel it coming in the air  
Hear the screams from everywhere  
I'm addicted to the thrill  
It's a dangerous love affair  
Can't be scared when it goes down  
Got a problem? Tell me now  
Only thing that's on my mind  
Is who's gonna run this town tonight?_

**Chapter 12: Let the Games Begin**

I could see the countdown at the top of the Cornucopia, slowly but surely getting down to zero. Time felt like it passed like a snail. I looked to my right at some of the other tributes. Some were doing the same as me, assessing the competition; others had their eyes glued on the Cornucopia. I looked to my left and saw Cato's towering form next to mine. He had a determined look on his face, fists clenched at his side, surveying the Cornucopia for exactly what he would need. I probably should've been doing the same thing, but I couldn't look away from Cato. This boy would be the death of me.

I then realized that he was no longer looking at the Cornucopia. His eyes were now glued on me. I stared back at him, and he nodded toward the Cornucopia, his face demanding me to get my head together and focus. I nodded and turned back to the Cornucopia, now with only thirty seconds left. Scanning the Cornucopia for what I would need, I knew I wouldn't need a pack yet. Whatever the other tributes left, we, the Careers, would keep for ourselves.

I would need a weapon if I was going to survive the Bloodbath, though. I was the fastest person there, having proved that in the obstacle course, so all I needed was to locate the weapon I would use. A trident was what I would have preferred to use but was having trouble locating one. I hoped I had impressed the Gamemakers for them to put one in the arena. I had twenty seconds. If I couldn't find a trident, a spear would have to do. I located one easily, the Cornucopia adorned with so many of them. Only fifteen seconds to go. My heart was pounding so hard that I could practically feel it pounding against my ribs. I could be dead in a matter of seconds. Ten seconds, to be exact. A sigh of relief washed over me as I spotted a retractable trident leaning against a crate. I heard Merrick's voice in my head encouraging me, letting me know that I could beat everyone. Five seconds. I breathed a little easier. Three seconds. _This is it._ Two seconds. _I can do this._ One second. _I _can_ win._ The timer was at zero.

I made a beeline for the trident, beating all the tributes to the Cornucopia, with Cato not far behind me. Lying next to the trident I had picked up and opened was a short sword. Picking it up quickly, I got Cato's attention and threw it to him. He caught it easily and killed the first tribute, the District Seven male, as he reached the Cornucopia. I turned away, bracing myself for the wave of chaos that was to come. Once the tributes were armed, I was using the trident to block attacks. As much as I wanted to make it through the Bloodbath, I was determined not to shed any blood until I _had_ to.

I was tackled to the ground by the girl from District Nine, my trident getting knocked away from me in the process, and the girl raised a knife in her hand and started to bring it down. I moved my head, and she missed me by an inch. She raised it again, but I held her arm. I was not going down like this. I had a good chance of winning, and I would not let this girl end my life.

Suddenly, there was a spear sticking out of where her bellybutton should have been. She slumped over me, dropping the knife, and I pushed her off of me. I looked around to see who had been my savior but couldn't spot who might have thrown the spear. Screams were the only things to meet my ears. I pulled myself up but was only standing for a second when a force knocked me down from behind. I was being held down; whoever had knocked me down was sitting on my back. They were using my short ponytail to pull my head back, and their legs had my arms pinned down. A blade was put to my face and pulled down, slicing it a bit. The person holding me down leaned forward, their moth next to my ear. The voice that came from the mouth belonged to Glimmer.

"I told myself I'd be the one to end your life, and now I get to do it. You don't belong in our alliance! You think you can just waltz in and take all the-"

I cut her off by slamming my head back into hers, disorienting her enough to get her off of me. It did some damage to me as well, but ultimately saved me. I grabbed my trident that was laying by the girl from District Nine and started running toward to forest, grabbing the first pack I came to. There was no way I wouldn't be sticking around with the others.

Of course I had been stupid enough to believe I could be in with the Careers. Cato had assured me that I was a welcome member, but deep in the back of my mind, I knew _he_ was the only one who had accepted me. Cato was the only one in the alliance that could stand me. Marvel hated me for pointing out that he wasn't as good as Cato. Glimmer's attack all but confirmed that she hated me for taking all of Cato's attention off of her, not that it had been on her to begin with. I knew that I couldn't be a part of that alliance, at least while Glimmer was around. Clove had shown no real hate toward me, but that didn't help me much. I was sure Clove, and maybe Marvel, would listen to Cato, but Glimmer genuinely hated my guts, even if she would _love_ to see them spilled out somewhere.

I could see the safety and hiding places the forest offered. I was just hitting the tree line when I was rammed for a third time, colliding with a tree. Gathering myself quickly, I moved just as a sword came down where my head had been. Gripping my trident tightly in my hands, I turned to see who had tried to take me out. My eyes landed on the boy from District Six, who I had saved from Cato's wrath during training. _Thanks, kid. I help you and _this_ is what I get?_ I was suddenly wishing I'd let Cato attack him, and that wasn't a thought I would normally have.

He lunged at me again, and I blocked his attack with the prongs of my trident. He came at me again; his swinging was sloppy but ultimately knocked me back into the tree once more. He just kept coming and coming, and there was nothing more I could do than block his attacks. Finally, I slashed wildly quick with the trident and watched as the boy from District Six fell to the ground, blood spilling from the three gashes that were on his face and neck. My eyes widened at the sight. If I wanted to make it home, there was no way I was getting out of the arena without killing someone. I had just never expected it to be so soon. If I wanted to win, I couldn't exactly convince the last person left to kill themselves, unless it happened to be Crest. He was determined to get me home.

I still stood there, stunned, but knew I should be running. Standing there like an idiot was losing me sponsors and exposing me to the Bloodbath. I knew Merrick was probably yelling at the screen, his usually clear voice in my head, telling me to run, muted. My only motion was the heaving of my chest. If I started running, I would run out of steam too soon. I tried to concentrate on my breathing. _In and out. In and out._ That's all I focused on for the next few minutes; it was better than focusing on the dead body in front of me.

As the world around me came into focus, I finally heard the last victim of the Bloodbath scream, their life gone in an instant. Everything still felt so far away, and I was rooted to the spot. I knew I would have to move soon so the hovercraft could collect the boy, but I couldn't bring myself to move or look away from him.

I heard my name being called and I looked up to see Cato coming toward me, Marvel, Glimmer and Clove trailing behind him. Seeing three people who wanted nothing more to kill me at that moment and rid their alliance of me was enough to make my feet begin to move. I rolled around the tree, stumbling a bit. Cato continued calling for me, and my feet started to move just a bit faster. I wasn't very far from them, my legs only allowing me to move so much. The sound of Cato yelling at Glimmer floated through the forest. Though I couldn't understand what had been said, I knew it dripped from his mouth with anger, and then he yelled for me again. I tried to make my legs move faster, but they would only continue at their slow pace. I heard crunching leaves behind me and knew I could possibly meet my end.

My arm was grabbed and I was turned around, meeting Cato's icy blue eyes. "April, where are you going?"

Needing to conserve my energy, I pushed him away from me with little force. "I'm getting away from here. I don't need to be in an alliance where I'm not wanted. I can't be number five." I continued to walk away, my pace quickening. I heard him continue to call my name as I broke into a run.

It felt like I was running forever, but I knew it couldn't have been long. I made sure to keep my eyes open for any other tributes that were now in the forest with me. By the time I ran out of breath and needed rest, I'd made it to a waterfall that created a stream. I sat down and hit the button on the side of my trident, retracting it back into its smaller form. My pack was on the ground next, and I began to rummage through it to see what supplies I had to work with. There was a sleeping bag, a rope, a canteen with water, which I happily took a drink from, a couple of knives, enough dried meat and fruit for two days, if I rationed it correctly, and a pair of sunglasses. I put them on and was immediately blinded. I quickly removed them, realizing they were only meant to be used at night. I smiled to myself as I pushed everything back in my bag, thankful for the good luck I had received by picking up a random pack.

Reaching up to touch the cut on my cheek that Glimmer had given me, I pulled my hand back and saw blood on my fingers. I cupped my hands in the stream and splashed a bit of water on my face, hoping to clean the cut as much as I could. Once I was done, I placed everything back into my bag and grabbed my trident.

When I grabbed my trident, blood started trickling from the end where the prongs were supposed to come out. The blood was not my own and a wave of dizziness washed over me. The blood coming from my trident belonged to the boy from District Six, the boy that I had saved and the boy that I had just killed. My heart started beating rapidly again, my mind going back to the Bloodbath that had happened not long ago. As I rested my head on my knees, I dropped my pack and my trident.

I sat there, trying to calm myself down when the cannons started. _One… Two… Three… Four… Five…_ I couldn't take this. So much death was contained in this arena, and I was forced to be a part of it. _Nine… Ten…_ The only thing that was helping was the image of my brother telling me to do whatever I needed to do to come home. I knew exactly what that meant

I tried my best to suppress a scream when I felt a hand on my shoulder, but only partially succeeded as a slight screech crossed my lips. The prongs of my trident were out and pressed against the person's chest. I sighed both mentally and physically when I saw Crest looking at me sympathetically. Remembering what he, Merrick, and I had discussed, I kept them pressed against him until he slowly stepped back enough for me to put them down.

"I hope you're doing okay," he whispered. "I won't stay long. We need to keep a distance, as you know."

More than anything, I wished I could see what Crest was thinking. Even if he had no one back home, I couldn't understand why he was so willing to lay his life down for mine. If our places were reversed, I wasn't sure that I would have been able to do the same. "Crest…"

"I'll do my best to keep you safe," he interrupted before I could finish. He moved farther away, grabbing the spear I hadn't seen sitting against a tree. He turned back to me and pointed the spear in my direction. He was about to put on an act for Panem. "Next time I see you, you're mine, understand?"

I sighed before flashing a fake smirk, knowing I'd have to play along. "We'll see who gets who." He returned it before making his way into the depths of the forest, disappearing.

I drank a bit more of the water and thought about filling it back up. I could hope that the water was clean enough for me to drink, but with the Gamemakers, you could never tell. I didn't think I could chance it though. There was absolutely no way to clean it without a fire and attracting attention to myself. I grabbed my pack and trident and started to move out, needing to get as much distance as I could between myself and the other Careers. The less I had to deal with them, the better off I would be. I continued walking through the dense forest, wondering which of the tributes were in their home element. Katniss had talked about going hunting in the forest right outside District Twelve. I was surprised she had trusted me so quickly. I was glad that she had, though. If I were to find her in the Games, I'd have to propose a truce with her, for now, at least.

I made it to a big patch of willow trees before I decided to stop for the day. The sun would be setting soon and I couldn't risk walking in the dark, even if I _did_ have those glasses. I found one that I felt I could climb, and, putting my trident in my pack and slinging the pack over my back, pulled myself up. It was difficult to do, with the trident hitting me in the head if I climbed to fast, but once I got to the top, I found where the tree shaped out into a bowl. I sighed in relief. I knew I wouldn't have to worry about falling out of the tree now. Once I had everything situated, I opened the pack and pulled out a couple of pieces of dried meat and one piece of dried fruit. I nibbled on my small meal as the sun began to set. I could've sworn I heard the leaves crunching below as I ate, but I knew I was concealed enough that no one could see me. If someone were to climb up here, my trident was at the ready.

The night sky had just made itself known when the anthem of Panem began to play. I knew they were about to show the fallen tributes of the day. A hovercraft appeared holding a screen that would project the faces of those who were killed. I tried to prepare myself for what I was about to see. I could feel my breathing pick up, so I try to calm it down before the first face is shown.

The pictures skipped directly to the girl from District Three. I wasn't surprised. I had seen Cato and the others not long before the cannons for the Bloodbath had gone off. The relief that flooded through me at not seeing his face was almost palpable, but I tried not to dwell on the thought. The boy from District Five appeared on the screen next, followed by the girl from District Six. The next face to appear was one that would haunt my dreams for a long time. I didn't even know the boy from District Six's name. The awful churning feeling in my stomach started once again, but I was able to push it away as the girl and boy from District Seven appeared on the screen, respectively. The boy from District Eight was next followed by both from District Nine. The last tribute to appear was the girl from District Ten. I sighed with relief as I saw that Katniss was still alive. I now really hoped that I could find her and create a temporary alliance. It was going to be hard enough to get through part of the Games alone.

I heard a rustling below me, much closer than the one earlier. I made myself creep over the edge that the bowl in the tree created. I stared down the tree, searching for whatever it was that had created the disturbance. I leaned back and grabbed the glasses out of my pack. I put them on and leaned back over, immediately spotting someone lying in the fork of some branches several feet below me. I stared a little harder when I caught sight of something sticking out of the hood of the jacket and instantly recognized the side braid. My prayers had been answered. I was staring at Katniss Everdeen.

I decided I'd make my way down there, grabbing my trident before I started descending the branches. I needed to be prepared just in case she had a weapon. I looked back over the edge and figured out which branches I'd use to get down to her. Once I'd calculated my path, I quickly made my way down and landed nimbly on the branch she was nestled in, startling her. I looked at her through my glasses and smiled at her.

"Hello, Katniss," I said in a low voice, sitting down as comfortably as I could on the branch.

I could see her squint through the darkness a bit. My voice finally clicked with her and she smiled wide. "April," she whispered.

"Kat, this branch can't be comfy," I said standing back up. I motioned for her to do the same, but she just continued to look at me. "Come up here. The tree goes into a bowl. We need to talk."

I didn't wait for her to follow me, turning around and climbing back the way I came. Once I was back in the bowl, I only had to wait for a few minutes before I heard the rustling of branches. Katniss quickly joined me up in my bowl. She took a look around in the darkness and saw that my trident was retracted and put to the side, hesitantly making her way to the opposite side of the bowl.

Though she couldn't see me very well, I still sent her a simple smile, one that told her I meant her no harm. I had hoped that we had befriended each other enough before the Games had officially started that she would be willing to be in an alliance with me for the time being. It was better than being alone, and they say two heads are better than one.

"I take it the other Careers abandoned you?" She spoke first, surprising me greatly. It made me think I may not have to do much to talk her into an alliance with me.

"What makes you say that?" I asked with a breathless chuckle.

The glasses lit up her smile like a candle. "Well, if you were with them, I doubt you would be in a tree by yourself," she said with a little sarcasm. "And I saw Glimmer try to slice your face off, so that was my first clue."

I managed to keep myself from laughing too loudly. It wouldn't do either of us any good to get discovered up in the tree. We would have nowhere to go. "Yeah. We never really saw eye to eye. Couldn't really say I was surprised." I had voiced my concerns to Cato the night before, allowing myself to believe him when he had said I was fully welcome by everyone.

Katniss was quiet for a few moments, and I could almost hear the thoughts going in her head. "Well," she said after a minute of silence, "if I don't bring it up, I'm sure you will. We get along well enough. I know the woods, you're a great fighter. Why don't we stick together for the time being?"

I breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that we were having the same thoughts. "You took the words right out of my mouth, Kat."

"So, you won't stab me in my sleep," she joked, visibly making herself comfortable, knowing what my answer would be.

"I'm not going to stab you in your sleep," I said, relaxing along with her. As long as we were up in the tree, we had a good chance of being safe for the night. "As long as you don't stab me."

"Not a chance."

I looked around the dark arena, unable to see extremely far, even with the glasses on. There was no wind, no rustling or crunching of leaves below us, just the slight hum of the fake sky above us. Before taking off my glasses, I looked back to Katniss once more and relaxed against the tree. "We should get as much rest as we can. Who knows how well we'll be able to sleep in here."

Katniss agreed, and before I knew it, I was completely swallowed by darkness. My entire body was more tired than I had realized, partially due to the fact of barely getting any sleep the night before. I tried to find a part of me that regretted spending that time with Cato, but I couldn't. It was the first time I had actually had fun since I had been picked to be in the Games. It was the part of me that didn't regret it that worried me, my unconscious mind lingering far too long on the thoughts for my liking. If I could find a way to ignore whatever was going on between us, I had a much better chance at winning the Games. And that's all I wanted, to go home and see my family again.

The snap and crackle of sticks a few feet away aroused me and Katniss. We looked around, searching for the source, knowing we were safe in the camouflage that the tree provided. I felt a tap on my shoulder and barely saw Katniss's finger point through the darkness. Just through the trees was the Orange glow of a fire.

"I guess we know who's going next," I whispered to her, to which she nodded in return. To start a fire at night was like placing a neon sign above your head, advertising yourself as the next kill.

I wasn't surprised when I heard a scream a few minutes later. Whoever it was had brought that fate on themselves. I felt a little sorry for them, for such a young person to die so soon, but I had to face the reality that it would happen to everyone else I was going to make it home. A few moments later, we heard multiple voices below us. Before I knew what I was doing, I was moving to look over the edge of the bowl, Katniss's arm shooting out to stop me.

"They might see us," she barely whispered.

"Shouldn't we have heard a cannon by now?" Glimmer asked, her voice floating up from below.

I shook my head to Katniss, reaching for the night vision glasses. "I think they're preoccupied." Sliding them on, I moved back to the edge, looking over the lip. I was immediately blinding, having not expected them to be carrying torches. Ripping the glasses back off, I moved to where I could barely see who was down below.

"I'd say yes. Nothing to prevent them from going in immediately," Clove chimed, directing her torch in the direction that we had seen the fire.

Marvel scoffed, looking pointedly at Cato. "Unless she isn't dead."

"She's dead," he said, the scowl evident on his face. He was the leader of the pack and didn't relish in being challenged openly like that. "I stuck her myself."

"Then where's the cannon?" Marvel said a little louder.

Cato took a small step toward him before Clove stuck her arm out in front of him, stopping his movement. "Someone should go back. Make sure the job's done."

"Yeah," Marvel agreed, chuckling slightly at the fact that Cato had been held back. "We don't want to have to track her down twice."

I could tell Cato's temper was clawing to get to the surface, to take Marvel by the neck and slam his face against a tree. "I said she's dead!"

There was suddenly more yelling than I could keep up with, Glimmer unable to decide whose side she was on and Clove obviously backing up Cato. Marvel and Cato continued to yell at each other, Cato's fists clenching at his sides over and over, trying to reign in his temper. It would have been bad to break his alliance so early in the Games, and he knew that. He was a brute, but he was smarter than everyone seemed to give him credit for.

"We're wasting time!" A fifth voice yelled. I hadn't even noticed him standing off to the side, and my heart immediately sank for the girl next to me. Peeta marched over, forcefully taking the spear from Marvel's hand. "I'll go finish her and let's move on!"

Unable to believe what I had seen below, I pulled myself back away from the edge. Peeta had seen like such a nice guy, but that just showed that the arena brought out anything in people. When my eyes landed on Katniss, my heart dropped. She and Peeta had seemed close, and after his admission of his affections, I knew it had to be a shock for her. I wouldn't want to be in her shoes.

Before I could open my mouth, I heard Glimmer's voice float up again, slightly hushed. "Why don't we just kill him now?"

"He's capable enough with a knife, but it'll be easy to take him out later. Besides," Cato said, his voice dropping just a bit more, as if he knew we were listening, "he's our best chance at finding her."

If it were possible, my heart dropped even more. They were looking for Katniss, and it seemed that Peeta was helping them. All I wanted to do was wrap her in a hug and pull her away from it all. "Katniss, I'm so sorry."

I could see that she was just as shocked as I was, and I hated that she was having to hear any of the conversation at all. It was evident that she was hurt by the revelation and was trying her hardest not to show it. There were cameras on us constantly, and after Peeta's confession to Caesar, there was no doubt the entire Capitol was waiting on baited breath to see what would happen next.

We heard the cannon fire, and when Peeta reappeared, he confirmed to the others that the girl they had been after was dead. He then told the Careers that they were on the right trail, having found some of Katniss's hunting snares. We both held our breaths, hoping that they didn't know they were right below us. After a few more moments, they began walking away from our tree, and we signed quietly.

"We have to get as far away from them as we can tomorrow," Katniss said. "At first light, we go that way." I followed her finger that was pointing in the opposite direction that the Careers and Peeta had gone.

Her voice sounded unaffected by it all, but I could tell what had happened had bothered her. I nodded nonetheless, not wanting to bring it up. It was bad enough knowing you were being watched while doing the simplest things, but having something so emotional happen was another matter entire.

"Get some rest, Katniss. I'll see you in the morning," I said, moving back into my sleeping bag. I could already feel sleep tugging at me, and before I knew it, I was gone.

**CATO OC CATO OC CATO OC CATO OC CATO**

I'm so sorry it has been taking me so long with this update. This chapter was first written a year and a half ago, and my writing style has drastically changed since then. But I think I bridged the gap and it came out really well. I'm also pulling almost 60 hours a week at work, so I'm really tired. I'll have more time off once November rolls around. But don't worry. This story is a priority to me because I love it and have wanted to share this story for so long. Don't forget to review! Love you all and see you soon!


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